Multiscale sensorless adaptive optics OCT angiography system for in vivo human retinal imaging

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is crucial for retinal imaging.
• Achieving variable resolution and field-of-view (FOV) in OCT systems remains a challenge.
• Adaptive optics (AO) can improve OCT resolution but often adds complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a multiscale sensorless adaptive optics (SAO) OCT system.
• To enable imaging of retinal structure and vasculature with adjustable FOV and resolution.
• To assess the system's potential for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a compact SAO-OCT system using a single deformable mirror and polarization properties.
• Adjustment of pupil beam diameter to achieve different numerical apertures and imaging parameters.
• Utilizing SAO aberration correction for high-resolution, detailed imaging.
• Performing multiscale functional SAO-OCT imaging on healthy subjects.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated imaging of retinal structure and vasculature at large FOV (15°×15°) with ~10 µm resolution.
• Achieved fine-detailed imaging of photoreceptor mosaic and capillaries at reduced FOV (3°×3°) with higher numerical aperture and SAO correction.
• Successfully performed multiscale functional SAO-OCT imaging on four healthy individuals.
• The system showed adaptability for both wide-field and high-resolution retinal imaging.

Conclusions:

• The developed SAO-OCT system offers versatile multiscale imaging capabilities for retinal analysis.
• The system's compact design and ease of operation facilitate potential clinical translation.
• SAO-OCT shows promise for detailed visualization of retinal morphology and microvasculature.