Handheld Probe Allows In Vivo Retinal Imaging in Children

FRIDAY, Aug. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An ultracompact handheld probe, weighing only 94 g, allows in vivo cellular-resolution retinal imaging in infants and children, according to research published online Aug. 1 in Nature Photonics.

Francesco LaRocca, from the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and colleagues report on the design and operation of a handheld probe that can perform scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography of the parafoveal photoreceptor structure without the need for advanced optics, and could be used for infants and children.

The authors note that the probe featured a compact optical design and weighed only 94 g. In children ranging from age 14 months to 12 years the probe was able to quantify packing densities of parafoveal cone photoreceptors and visualized cross-sectional photoreceptor substructure.

“The probe will benefit pediatric research by improving the understanding of retinal development, maldevelopment, and early onset of disease during human growth,” the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to Bioptigen. Several authors are inventors on a patent application assigned to Duke University related to this work.

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