Imaging of macular pigment distributions

Abstract

Macular pigments are measured by spectrally selective lipofuscin detection. Light from a light source that emits light at a selected range of wavelengths that overlap the absorption band of macular carotenoids is directed onto macular tissue of an eye for which macular pigment levels are to be measured. Emitted light is then collected from the macular tissue. The collected light is filtered so that the collected light includes lipofuscin emission from the macular tissue at an excitation wavelength that lies outside the macular pigment absorption range and outside the excitation range of interfering fluorophores. The collected light is quantified at each of a plurality of locations in the macular tissue and the macular pigment levels in the macular tissue are determined from the differing lipofuscin emission intensities in the macula and peripheral retina.

1 . A method for measuring macular pigments, comprising: 
 illuminating the macular tissue of an eye with light at a wavelength that overlaps the absorption band of macular carotenoids and the absorption band of lipofuscin,    quantifying the light emission from each of the macula and peripheral retina of the eye at an excitation wavelength that lies outside the macular pigment absorption range and outside the excitation range of interfering fluorophores, and    determining the spatial extent and topographic concentration distribution of macular pigments in the macular tissue from the differing light intensities in the macula and peripheral retina.    
   
   
       2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the act of illuminating the macula and peripheral retina of an eye with light is performed with light at a wavelength of from about 450 nm to about 550 nm at an exposure on the eye below about 10 mJ/cm 2  and for less than about 1 second.  
   
   
       3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the act of illuminating the macula and peripheral retina of an eye with light comprises illuminating the macula and peripheral retina of an undilated eye.  
   
   
       4 . A method for diagnosing a subject, comprising: performing a method as defined in  claim 1  upon the eye of a subject, comparing the macular pigment levels to correlative data indicative of one or more pathologies or symptoms, and based upon the comparison, determining the presence, absence, or degree of one or more pathologies or symptoms.  
   
   
       5 . A method for measuring macular pigments, comprising: 
 providing a light source that emits light at at least one wavelength that overlaps the absorption band of macular carotenoids and the absorption band of lipofuscin,    directing light from the light source onto macular tissue of an eye for which macular pigment levels are to be measured,    collecting light emitted from the macular tissue, the collected light comprising lipofuscin emission from the macular tissue at an excitation wavelength that lies outside the macular pigment absorption range and outside the excitation range of interfering fluorophores,    quantifying the collected light from each of a plurality of locations in the macular tissue and thereby quantifying the lipofuscin emission intensities from each of a plurality of locations, and    determining the macular pigment levels in the macular tissue from the differing lipofuscin emission intensities in the macula and peripheral retina.    
   
   
       6 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the collected light is filtered such that only light above about 700 nm is quantified.  
   
   
       7 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the light from the light source has an intensity that does not substantially alter macular pigment levels in the macular tissue;  
   
   
       8 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the light source generates coherent light at a wavelength of from about 450 nm to about 550 nm.  
   
   
       9 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the light source generates laser light at a wavelength of about 488 nm.  
   
   
       10 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.  
   
   
       11 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the light exposure from the light source on the eye is below about 10 mJ/cm 2 .  
   
   
       12 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the light exposure from the light source on the eye is for less than about 1 second.  
   
   
       13 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the collected light is used to produce digital macular pigment images of the macular tissue.  
   
   
       14 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the lipofuscin emission is from fluorescence of the retinal pigment epithelium of the eye upon excitation with the light from the light source.  
   
   
       15 . A method as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the fluorescence of the retinal pigment epithelium is used to produce digital macular pigment images of the macular tissue.  
   
   
       16 . A method as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising determining spatial extent and topographic concentration distribution of the macular pigments by digital image subtraction.  
   
   
       17 . A method for diagnosing a subject, comprising: performing a method as defined in  claim 5  upon the eye of the subject; comparing the macular pigment levels to correlative data indicative of one or more pathologies or symptoms; and based upon the comparison, determining the presence, absence, or degree of one or more pathologies or symptoms.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus for measuring macular pigments, comprising: 
 a light source that generates light at a wavelength that is absorbed by macular pigment and lipofuscin and that produces an autofluorescence lipofuscin emission;    at least one optical filter configured for receiving, directly or indirectly, light that is emitted from macular tissue of an eye that has been illuminated with light from the light source, the optical filter being selective for passing light at a selected wavelength range such that fluorescence contributions from ocular media besides the macula are substantially blocked; and    an optical detector configured for receiving the passed light from the optical filter and generating a signal indicative of the fluorescence intensities of the lipofuscin emission at the macula and peripheral retina of a subject's eye; and    a computing device for determining macular pigment concentrations from the fluorescence intensities of the lipofuscin emission at the macula and peripheral retina.    
   
   
       19 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 one or more light delivery optical components for directing light from the light source to a subject's eye; and    one or more light collection optical components for receiving an autofluorescence lipofuscin emission from the subject's eye and routing the autofluorescence lipofuscin emission from the eye.    
   
   
       20 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the light source generates coherent light at a wavelength of about 488 nm.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the optical filter blocks light at wavelengths of less than about 700 nm.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the optical detector is selected from the group consisting of a CCD camera, a CCD detector array, an intensified CCD detector array, a photomultiplier apparatus, and photodiodes.  
   
   
       24 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the computing device uses the fluorescence intensities of the lipofuscin emission to produce digital macular pigment images of the macular tissue.  
   
   
       25 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the computing device uses the fluorescence intensities of the lipofuscin emission to obtain spatial extent and topographic concentration distribution of the macular pigments by digital image subtraction.