Carotenoid macular pigments aid human vision and protect against advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Recent work has shown that visible light Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) can form depth-resolved images of macular pigments in the human retina. Here we compare superluminescent diodes (SLDs) at a range of center wavelengths from 452 nm to 637 nm to assess their suitability to visualize and quantify macular pigments. We consider light safety, ocular transmission (image signal-to-noise ratio), and macular pigment absorption contrast. We conclude that cyan and short wavelength green central wavelengths should provide a good balance of these competing considerations.
Here we present a new approach to quantify macular pigments and importantly, localize them in depth within the human retina in vivo. The approach utilizes visible light Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging with multiple combined superluminescent diodes, with energy concentrated at discrete red, green, and blue wavelength bands. Imaging simultaneously with red and blue wavelengths, we reveal the expected distribution of macular pigment optical density with a peak at or near the foveal center. Imaging simultaneously with red and green wavelengths, we localize macular pigments in depth to the region beneath the foveal pit, inner to the photoreceptors.
Visible light OCT requires light sources with high spatial brightness and broad spectral range. Typical solutions are based on supercontinuum generation from a short pulse. Here, we demonstrate visible light superluminescent diodes (SLDs) for OCT imaging of the human retina. SLDs are about an order-of-magnitude less costly than supercontinuum sources and have lower intrinsic excess noise, enabling imaging closer to the shot noise limit. We show that while SLDs lack continuous broadband spectra, they can provide concentrated power at specific wavelengths. Our approach enables us to image near the shot noise limit in vivo and provides novel chromophore information.
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