Instrumentation for electroretinography: a LED-based stimulator

In the field of Electroretinography (ERG), new clinical studies begin to show interesting applications of the harmonic analysis of electrophysiological signals obtained in response to flicker-type stimulation of the central retina (macula). The clinical information within this type of signal can be fully exploited only if the experiments are performed using high quality devices, having low distortion and a wide operation range for the stimulation parameters. In this view we developed a stand-alone stimulator that takes advantage from the use of recent optoelectronic devices (the ultra-bright LEDs) and embedded microprocessor control. The instrument, being of simple and reliable operation, was intended as a mean to encourage the introduction of some of the most recent and interesting results of neurophysiological and psychophysical research in the eye clinic.