Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining the thickness of a retina. A single beam is used to illuminate the retina of a patient. Interference between reflections off different layers within the retina cause autocorrelation in the returned signal. An FFT applied to the autocorrelation signal reveals the strongest autocorrelation, which indicates the distance between the nerve fiber layer (NFL) and the layers between the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the dominant scatterers. By analyzing autocorrelation, a single beam can be used. This avoids the problem of movement of the patient, arising in the use of a standard OCT interferometer, resulting in a simpler and less expensive technique of measuring retinal thickness.

Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining the thickness of a retina. A single beam is used to illuminate the retina of a patient. Interference between reflections off different layers within the retina cause autocorrelation in the returned signal. A spectrometer produces a frequency spectrum of the beam reflected by the retina, and an FFT applied to the frequency spectrum produces a spatial domain signal (SDS). Autocorrelation within the reflected beam results in edges within the spatial domain signal, and the spatial coordinate of the SDS at which the power of the SDS drops precipitously indicates the distance between the nerve fiber layer (NFL) and the layers between the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the dominant scatterers. By analyzing autocorrelation, a single beam can be used.

Abstract: In line-scan scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) a narrowband of wavelengths is required. For greater flexibility the frequencies of this narrowband should be selectable. This is possible using a broadband tunable single mode source, but such a solution is expensive. A system is provided in which an extended broadband source is used. Light from the extended source passes to a diffraction grating, which introduces a wavelength dependent angular separation when reflecting the light. By rotating the diffraction grating, only light of a selectable narrowband passes through a fixed output slit for use by the line-scan SLO system. Alternatively, the diffraction grating can be fixed and a rotatable mirror lying between the diffraction grating and the output slit can be used to select the wavelengths reaching the line-scan SLO system.

Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Abstract: In a OCT interferometer it is necessary to balance dispersion within the reference arm with dispersion within the object arm. This is normally done by replicating within the reference arm the components found in the object arm. This adds to the complexity and cost of the OCT interferometer. A method is provided for determining the design of and designing a simplified OCT interferometer, in which the reference arm contains only a single piece of glass of a single glass type. This reduces the cost and complexity of the OCT interferometer, and reduces power loss and undesired reflections within the reference arm.

Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining the thickness of a retina. A single beam is used to illuminate the retina of a patient. Interference between reflections off different layers within the retina cause autocorrelation in the returned signal. An FFT applied to the autocorrelation signal reveals the strongest autocorrelation, which indicates the distance between the nerve fiber layer (NFL) and the layers between the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the dominant scatterers. By analyzing autocorrelation, a single beam can be used. This avoids the problem of movement of the patient, arising in the use of a standard OCT interferometer, resulting in a simpler and less expensive technique of measuring retinal thickness.

Abstract: A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.