Non-invasive cellular-resolution retinal imaging with two-photon excited fluorescence

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Optics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging offers non-invasive, compound-specific retinal measurements.
• Developing advanced imaging techniques is crucial for understanding retinal diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate high-resolution TPEF imaging of the mouse retina.
• To integrate TPEF with sensorless adaptive optics (SAO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for multi-modal imaging.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous multi-modal imaging using a single near-infrared light source for OCT and TPEF.
• Image-based SAO for aberration correction utilizing en face OCT or TPEF.
• High-resolution TPEF and OCT imaging of the mouse retina.

Main Results:

• Successful simultaneous OCT and TPEF imaging was achieved.
• Aberration correction using SAO was demonstrated with both OCT and TPEF.
• Non-invasive, cellular-resolution imaging of fluorescently labeled cells and the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) mosaic was performed.
• OCT and TPEF were utilized for retinal angiography.

Conclusions:

• The combined SAO, OCT, and TPEF system provides high-resolution, non-invasive retinal imaging.
• This multi-modal approach enables detailed visualization of retinal structures and cellular components.
• The technique holds promise for future research in retinal function and disease.