SBIR-STTR Award

Intellite, Incorporated will team with the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona to develop an adaptive optics system that will project a diffraction-limited spot on the retina by pre-correcting the laser beam for all significant optical aberrations of the specific eyeball under test. The system will use real-time feedback from a low-power laser reflected from the retina to measure the aberrations and modify the shape of a membrane deformable mirror. Furthermore, the proposed system will include a retinal imaging subsystem which will employ the same deformable mirror technology to produce a very high-resolution image of the retina and the laser spot. This imaging system can also be used to determine the nature and extent of retinal laser injuries occurring in the field. These functions will be integrated into a prototype design for an Aberration-Corrected Retinal Spot Projector and Imager (ARSPI) that will provide AFRL/HEDO the tools needed to advance the state of knowledge and understanding regarding laser safety.

Benefits:
The capability of the proposed system to not only measure the eye’s aberrations in real time but also image the retina and project a diffraction limited laser spot at any location on the retina will have tremendous value in both laser safety research and retinal laser surgery applications. In the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, for example, the ability to localize the laser spot more than is now possible will allow the eye surgeon to precisely treat only the damaged areas and leave more of the retina functional. A related commercial application is photocoagulating feeder vessels for the treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Targeting feeder vessels with infrared wavelengths (to penetrate the retina and reach the underlying choroid) may be a beneficial technique for slowing the wet form of AMD.

Keywords:
adaptive optics, deformable mirrors, retinal exposure, vision science, wavefront sensor