Abstract
Purpose: :
The objective was to obtain auto-fluorescence, red free, infra-red images and a live cross-sectional spectral domain OCT image of the retina in age matched rodent models of retinal degeneration and trauma.Methodology: Age matched dystrophic and non dystrophic royal college of surgeons’ rats aged 6 months were anaesthetized using a standard protocol. The animals were examined at different time points with imaging performed with the Heidelberg Spectralis device; a machine capable of multi-imaging with high-resolution spectral domain ocular coherence tomography (SD OCT) system that was modified with the addition of a ‘bolt-on’ lens and built for cross-sectional in vivo imaging of rodent retina.
Results: :
Depth resolution and the image quality of such new modified SD-OCT systems allow better resolution of invivo rodent retinal layers such as the highly reflective nerve fibre layer, inner and outer retinal layers. The results show significant retinal thinning by mean of 28% in affected areas compared to controls. Autofluorescence imaging in geographical atrophy shows similar findings to advanced changes in the RCS rat retina with regards to focal point sources. These hyperintense areas could be actively ingesting resident microglial cells.
Keywords: imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • retina • imaging/image analysis: non-clinical