Adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy: results and applications.

PURPOSE

The living human eye's optical aberrations set a limit to retinal imaging in the clinical setting. Progress in the field of adaptive optics has offered unique solutions to this problem. The purpose of this review is to summarize the most recent advances in adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy.

METHODS

Adaptive optics technology has been combined with flood illumination imaging, confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, and optical coherence tomography for the high resolution imaging of the retina.

RESULTS

The advent of adaptive optics technology has provided the technical platform for the compensation of the eye's aberration and made possible the observation of single cones, small capillaries, nerve fibers, and leukocyte dynamics as well as the ultrastructure of the optic nerve head lamina cribrosa in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Detailed imaging of retinal infrastructure provides valuable information for the study of retinal physiology and pathology.