Abstract
Presentation Description :
Retinal tissue requires an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients for cellular metabolism and visual function. Inadequate oxygen availability can impair retinal oxygen metabolism, damage retinal tissue, and cause cell death. Impaired retinal oxygenation has been implicated in common retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular occlusions. However, mechanisms that implicate oxygen in the development of pathologies and impairment of retinal function are not completely understood. Therefore, technologies that allow assessment of retinal oxygenation and metabolism are needed to broaden knowledge of disease pathophysiology, and thereby advance diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. We have developed an optical section phosphorescence lifetime imaging technique that allows depth-resolved measurements of retinal vascular and tissue oxygen tension. Combined with retinal blood flow imaging, global measurements of retinal oxygen delivery and metabolism are derived. This technology was applied for assessment of retinal oxygen delivery and metabolism in experimental animal models of retinal ischemia.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.