Optical method for in-vivo, non-invasive imaging of neurovascular coupling in the retina

用于视网膜神经血管耦合体内非侵入性成像的光学方法

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-06308
• 负责人: Bizheva, Kostadinka
• 金额: $ 2.99万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=717988
• 关键词: Optical; method; vivo; non; invasive

Motivation Potentially blinding retinal diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma, alter the retinal structure, function (physiology and metabolism) and blood flow. Functional and blood flow changes in the retina occur at the early stages of the disease and can be both temporary and potentially reversible. Therefore, developing a technology that can image and quantify these changes in-vivo and non-invasively, can improve significantly the early diagnostics of blinding retinal diseases and aid the development of novel treatments. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is the most advanced imaging modality for in-vivo, non-invasive, high resolution imaging of the retinal structure and blood flow. However, currently, retinal function is assessed clinically with Electroretinography (ERG), which is an invasive electrical measurement modality that requires placement of an electrode on the front surface of the eye. ERG has very low spatial resolution, as it integrates the functional response of many different types of retinal neurons over a wide volume of the retina. The main goal of the proposed research program is to develop a novel, non-invasive optical method, based on OCT, for in-vivo, non-invasive probing of retina function at cellular level (functional OCT or fOCT). Short Term Objectives 1) Develop fOCT technology with sufficient spatial resolution to image in-vivo individual retinal neurons and sufficient temporal resolution to probe fast physiological and metabolic changes in the retina associated with visual stimulation. 2) Validate the fOCT technology by conducting proof-of-concept studies in animals and humans. 3) Develop a theoretical model of light interaction with retinal tissue that can help explain the functional changes in retinal neurons measured with fOCT. Significance Potentially blinding retinal diseases affect a large portion of Canada's aging population and amount to billions of dollars in direct costs to the Canadian Health Care system. Since fOCT allows for simultaneous imaging of the retinal structure, blood low and function, clinical use of fOCT can reduce the overall time for patient examination, the number of clinical personnel required for imaging the patients and processing of the imaging data, as well as the rental cost of clinical space (housing of one vs multiple imaging instruments). This strategy may result in significant reduction of the direct cost for retinal exams to the Canadian Health Care system. In a broader context, the ability to simultaneously visualize and correlate retinal morphology, blood flow, physiology and metabolism, can directly address many important fundamental questions in vision research such as neurovascular coupling in the healthy and diseased retina. The technological development in the proposed program has strong potential for generation of novel intellectual property, and for commercialization of the novel fOCT system for vision research and vision health care.

动机 潜在的视网膜疾病，例如与年龄相关的黄斑变性和青光眼，改变视网膜结构，功能（生理和代谢）和血液流动。视网膜的功能和血流变化发生在疾病的早期阶段，并且可能是暂时的，并且可能是可逆的。因此，开发一种可以在体内和非侵入性上对这些变化进行成像和量化这些变化的技术，可以显着改善视网膜疾病的早期诊断，并有助于新治疗的发展。 光学相干断层扫描（OCT）是视网膜结构和血流的体内，无创，高分辨率成像的最先进的成像方式。但是，目前，通过视网膜图（ERG）对视网膜功能进行临床评估，这是一种侵入性的电测量方式，需要将电极放置在眼前表面上。 ERG具有非常低的空间分辨率，因为它在广泛的视网膜上整合了许多不同类型的视网膜神经元的功能响应。 拟议的研究计划的主要目标是基于OCT开发一种新型的，非侵入性的光学方法，用于体内，在细胞水平（功能性OCT或FOCT）的视网膜功能的非侵入性探测。 短期目标 1）开发具有足够空间分辨率的FOCT技术，以形象体内个体视网膜神经元和足够的时间分辨率，以探测与视觉刺激相关的视网膜中快速生理和代谢变化。 2）通过对动物和人类进行概念概念研究来验证FOCT技术。 3）发展与视网膜组织的光相互作用的理论模型，可以帮助解释用FOCT测量的视网膜神经元的功能变化。 意义 潜在的视网膜疾病可能会影响加拿大老龄化的大部分人口，而加拿大医疗保健系统的直接成本为数十亿美元。由于FOCT可以同时对视网膜结构，血液和功能进行同时成像，因此FOCT的临床使用可以减少患者检查的整体时间，成像成像和处理成像数据所需的临床人员数量，以及临床空间的租赁成本（一个VS多成像工具的房屋）。该策略可能会大幅减少视网膜考试的直接成本到加拿大医疗保健系统。 在更广泛的背景下，同时可视化和相关的视网膜形态，血流，生理和代谢的能力可以直接解决视力研究中许多重要的基本问题，例如健康和患病的视网膜中的神经血管耦合。 拟议计划中的技术发展具有产生新的知识产权的强大潜力，以及用于视觉研究和视力医疗保健的新型FOCT系统的商业化。