adaptive optics
Study of living eye in real time now possible
A new optics technology is providing scientists with real-time microscopic images of the living retina, and may allow doctors to focus in on earlier diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma. Researchers are using a technology called adaptive optics to peer inside the eyes of human subjects and for the first time get clear, sharp images of features such as blood flow in the eye’s retina. Until now, clear images of the living retina were not possible because the eye’s own structure interferes with the imaging process.
Technical advance in astronomy improves diagnosis of eye diseases
A major technical advance in astronomy is making it possible for scientists to see individual living cells of the human retina clearly for the first time. This will greatly improve doctors’ ability to diagnose diseases of the retina such as glaucoma at an early stage, when intervention and treatment can prevent blindness.