Observational, Follow-up Study of Adaptive Optics Retinal Imaging in Controls and During Retinal or General Diseases

Most cases of severe visual loss in developed countries are due to retinal diseases affecting a specialized class of neurons, the photoreceptors. Currently available systems for retinal imaging in humans do not allow neuronal imaging at the cellular level, which is crucial to understand, diagnose and monitor retinal diseases. In recent years, adaptive optics (AO) fundus imaging has proven its capability to image individual photoreceptor cells in the human retina. This technology is now reaching technical maturation. A prototypic AO system (manufactured by Imagine Eyes) is currently in operation in a clinical setting (Clinical Investigation Center 503) and has proven its reliability to monitor single photoreceptors over time. Yet, the clinical evaluation of AO imaging is still in its infancy, and biomarkers issued from AO imaging have not been validated. The goal of the iPhot project is thus to optimize the process of AO imaging (from the implementation of novel technical solution to image processing and data analysis) in order to obtain morphological, quantitative and longitudinal information concerning retinal microstructures in humans. For instance, we will aim at detecting early photoreceptor damage during retinal dystrophies.