Retinal scanning laser polarimetry and methods to compensate for corneal birefringence.

Scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) was developed to provide objective assessment of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), a birefringent tissue, by measuring the total retardation in the reflected light. The birefringence of the anterior segment of the eye, mainly the cornea, is a confounding variable to the RNFL measurement. Anterior segment birefringence varies over a wide range among individuals. This paper reviews the principle of SLP and methods to measure and compensate for anterior segment birefringence as implemented in a commercial SLP system, GDx VCC. Anterior segment birefringence is measured from the macular retardance profile. It can be neutralized with a variable retarder in the GDx VCC and the measured retardance directly represents the RNFL retardance. Alternatively, a bias retarder can be introduced in the measurement beam path with approximately vertical slow axis, SLP measures the combination of the RNFL and the bias retarder, and RNFL retardance is then mathematically extracted from the measurement. The latter has the advantage of improved signal-to-noise ratio. With the combination of a visual RNFL image and rapid, objective, and reproducible assessment of the RNFL, GDx VCC provides an attractive clinical tool in glaucoma management.

[1]  R. Knighton,et al.  Effect of corneal polarization axis on assessment of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness by scanning laser polarimetry. , 2000, American journal of ophthalmology.

[2]  Hans G Lemij,et al.  The relationship between standard automated perimetry and GDx VCC measurements. , 2004, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[3]  W. Feuer,et al.  Scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation and optical coherence tomography in normal and glaucomatous eyes. , 2003, American journal of ophthalmology.

[4]  R. Knighton,et al.  Effect of individualized compensation for anterior segment birefringence on retinal nerve fiber layer assessments as determined by scanning laser polarimetry. , 2002, Ophthalmology.

[5]  Robert N Weinreb,et al.  Scanning Laser Polarimetry in Monkey Eyes using Variable Corneal Polarization Compensation , 2002, Journal of glaucoma.

[6]  R. Knighton,et al.  Variation of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer birefringence in normal human subjects. , 2004, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[7]  Robert Knighton,et al.  Analytical methods for scanning laser polarimetry. , 2002, Optics express.

[8]  Robert N Weinreb,et al.  Fourier analysis of scanning laser polarimetry measurements with variable corneal compensation in glaucoma. , 2003, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[9]  H. Lemij,et al.  Visualization of localized retinal nerve fiber layer defects with the GDx with individualized and with fixed compensation of anterior segment birefringence. , 2003, Ophthalmology.

[10]  A. Sommer,et al.  Clinically detectable nerve fiber atrophy precedes the onset of glaucomatous field loss. , 1991, Archives of ophthalmology.

[11]  Andreas W. Dreher,et al.  Scanning laser polarimetry of the retinal nerve fiber layer , 1992, Optics & Photonics.

[12]  L. Zangwill,et al.  Scanning laser polarimetry to measure the nerve fiber layer of normal and glaucomatous eyes. , 1995, American journal of ophthalmology.

[13]  Robert N Weinreb,et al.  Correction for corneal polarization axis improves the discriminating power of scanning laser polarimetry. , 2002, American journal of ophthalmology.

[14]  Robert N Weinreb,et al.  Association between scanning laser polarimetry measurements using variable corneal polarization compensation and visual field sensitivity in glaucomatous eyes. , 2003, Archives of ophthalmology.

[15]  L Frisén,et al.  Fundoscopy of nerve fiber layer defects in glaucoma. , 1973, Investigative ophthalmology.

[16]  H. Lemij,et al.  Variable corneal compensation improves discrimination between normal and glaucomatous eyes with the scanning laser polarimeter. , 2004, Ophthalmology.

[17]  R. Knighton,et al.  Scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation: identification and correction for corneal birefringence in eyes with macular disease. , 2003, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[18]  R. Weinreb,et al.  Individualized compensation of anterior segment birefringence during scanning laser polarimetry. , 2002, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[19]  H. Quigley,et al.  Clinical evaluation of nerve fiber layer atrophy as an indicator of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. , 1980, Archives of ophthalmology.

[20]  G. V. van Blokland,et al.  Corneal polarization in the living human eye explained with a biaxial model. , 1987, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics and image science.

[21]  R. Knighton,et al.  Light scattering and form birefringence of parallel cylindrical arrays that represent cellular organelles of the retinal nerve fiber layer. , 1997, Applied optics.

[22]  Xiang-Run Huang,et al.  Linear birefringence of the retinal nerve fiber layer measured in vitro with a multispectral imaging micropolarimeter. , 2002, Journal of biomedical optics.

[23]  A. W. Dreher,et al.  Retinal laser ellipsometry : a new method for measuring the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness distribution ? , 1992 .

[24]  R. Weinreb,et al.  Spatially resolved birefringence of the retinal nerve fiber layer assessed with a retinal laser ellipsometer. , 1992, Applied optics.

[25]  Richard A. Bone,et al.  Macular pigment in henle fiber membranes:A model for Haidinger's brushes , 1984, Vision Research.

[26]  L. Zangwill,et al.  Glaucoma detection using scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal polarization compensation. , 2003, Archives of ophthalmology.

[27]  G. V. van Blokland,et al.  Birefringence of the human foveal area assessed in vivo with Mueller-matrix ellipsometry. , 1988, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics and image science.

[28]  W. Green,et al.  Optic nerve damage in human glaucoma. III. Quantitative correlation of nerve fiber loss and visual field defect in glaucoma, ischemic neuropathy, papilledema, and toxic neuropathy. , 1982, Archives of ophthalmology.

[29]  J. Bueno,et al.  Measurement of parameters of polarization in the living human eye using imaging polarimetry , 2000, Vision Research.

[30]  Barry Cense,et al.  Thickness and birefringence of healthy retinal nerve fiber layer tissue measured with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography. , 2004, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[31]  R. Weinreb,et al.  Histopathologic validation of Fourier-ellipsometry measurements of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. , 1990, Archives of ophthalmology.

[32]  R. Knighton,et al.  Linear birefringence of the central human cornea. , 2002, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[33]  A. Sommer,et al.  An evaluation of optic disc and nerve fiber layer examinations in monitoring progression of early glaucoma damage. , 1992, Ophthalmology.

[34]  Charles Wallace,et al.  Detection of glaucomatous retinal nerve fiber layer damage by scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation , 2003, SPIE BiOS.

[35]  L. Zangwill,et al.  Measurement of the magnitude and axis of corneal polarization with scanning laser polarimetry. , 2002, Archives of ophthalmology.

[36]  Xiang-Run Huang,et al.  Analytical model of scanning laser polarimetry for retinal nerve fiber layer assessment. , 2002, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[37]  R. Jones,et al.  A New Calculus for the Treatment of Optical SystemsII. Proof of Three General Equivalence Theorems , 1941 .