Visualizing retinal cells with adaptive optics imaging modalities using a translational imaging framework.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cell Biology
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Adaptive optics (AO) reflectance imaging allows noninvasive visualization of the living human retina.
• Current in vivo techniques have resolution limits, obscuring many subcellular retinal features.
• Ex vivo retinal imaging offers higher resolution but typically uses different modalities than in vivo imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a strategy for high-resolution imaging of ex vivo retinal samples using in vivo compatible modalities.
• To enable simultaneous reflectance and protein-specific fluorescence imaging of retinal tissues.
• To improve visualization of transparent retinal layers and facilitate cone photoreceptor classification.

Main Methods:

• Developed an imaging strategy for ex vivo retinal samples that mimics in vivo adaptive optics reflectance imaging.
• Integrated simultaneous reflectance and fluorescence imaging capabilities.
• Applied the technique to visualize subcellular structures and classify cone photoreceptor types.

Main Results:

• Achieved increased resolution for ex vivo retinal imaging compared to standard in vivo techniques.
• Successfully performed simultaneous reflectance and fluorescence imaging, visualizing transparent retinal layers.
• Demonstrated the ability to classify cone photoreceptor types based on imaging data.

Conclusions:

• The developed strategy provides enhanced resolution for ex vivo retinal imaging using in vivo compatible modalities.
• Simultaneous reflectance and fluorescence imaging offers a powerful tool for detailed retinal layer and cell type analysis.
• This approach advances the study of retinal cellular structures and photoreceptor subtypes.