Functional Imaging of Retinal Photoreceptors by Rhodopsin Mapping – IP1431

Florida International University (FIU) inventors created technologiesthat allow for functional imaging of the photoreceptors in the retina. Thetechnologies can be used in the clinical setting to assess the structure andfunction of photoreceptors. Specifically, in the diagnosing, disease stagingand follow up of retinal degenerative disorders, such as hereditary retinaldegeneration and age-related age macular regeneration. These technologies willalso be useful to build outcome measurements for clinical trials of thesediseases. The technology relies on an Integrated ParallelMulti-Channel-Space-Time-Coded Scanning Laser Opthalmoscopy (SLO) that detectsdifferences in optical absorption in dark and light adapted states, and aTriple-band Rhodopsin OCT which uses three separate wavelengths within therhodopsin absorption spectrum, which obtain all the information required tocalculate and reconstruct a quantitative retinal rhodopsin image with a singlescan of a dark-adapted retina. This functional imaging of photoreceptors in theretina by rhodopsin mapping represents a viable alternative to existingtechnologies used in traditional fundus reflectometry. Shantanu Balkundi sbalkund@fiu.edu 305-348-8061