Retina Phantom Model for Hyperspectral Imaging

Accurate retinal imaging is crucial for preclinical research and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for eye diseases. However, existing retinal imaging models often lack the precision needed to replicate the complex optical environment of the eye, limiting their effectiveness in testing and calibration. Current approaches rely heavily on live animals, which pose ethical concerns and variability in results. In this work, we designed a retinal phantom that can be used to validate spatial and spectral properties. We developed a 3D-printed mouse phantom retina to simulate the conditions of the eye and mimic its optical qualities. We produced gelatin phantom with deoxygenated blood to simulate veins and arteries. Imaging was performed using a topical endoscopic fundus imaging (TEFI) hyperspectral camera. For data analysis, we estimated the oxygenation rate in the phantom. The results showed that the phantom had rich both spatial and spectral details. Oxygenation mapping shows that the phantom produced reliable oxygenation rates of the blood. We believed that this work can be used by researchers for the purpose of validating HSI cameras and may be iterated upon to simulate eye diseases.