Imaging translucent cell bodies in the living mouse retina without contrast agents

A Guevara-Torres; D R Williams; J B Schallek

doi:10.1364/BOE.6.002106

Imaging translucent cell bodies in the living mouse retina without contrast agents

Biomed Opt Express. 2015 May 18;6(6):2106-19. doi: 10.1364/BOE.6.002106. eCollection 2015 Jun 1.

Authors

A Guevara-Torres¹, D R Williams², J B Schallek³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA ; The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA.
² Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA ; The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA ; Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
³ Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA ; Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.

Abstract

The transparency of most retinal cell classes typically precludes imaging them in the living eye; unless invasive methods are used that deploy extrinsic contrast agents. Using an adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) and capitalizing on the large numerical aperture of the mouse eye, we enhanced the contrast from otherwise transparent cells by subtracting the left from the right half of the light distribution in the detector plane. With this approach, it is possible to image the distal processes of photoreceptors, their more proximal cell bodies and the mosaic of horizontal cells in the living mouse retina.

Keywords: (110.1080) Active or adaptive optics; (170.4460) Ophthalmic optics and devices; (330.4300) Vision system - noninvasive assessment; (330.7324) Visual optics, comparative animal models.

Abstract

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