title: Influence of wave-front sampling in adaptive optics retinal imaging.
abstract: A wide range of sampling densities of the wave-front has been used in retinal adaptive optics (AO) instruments, compared to the number of corrector elements. We developed a model in order to characterize the link between number of actuators, number of wave-front sampling points and AO correction performance. Based on available data from aberration measurements in the human eye, 1000 wave-fronts were generated for the simulations. The AO correction performance in the presence of these representative aberrations was simulated for different deformable mirror and Shack Hartmann wave-front sensor combinations. Predictions of the model were experimentally tested through in vivo measurements in 10 eyes including retinal imaging with an AO scanning laser ophthalmoscope. According to our study, a ratio between wavefront sampling points and actuator elements of 2 is sufficient to achieve high resolution in vivo images of photoreceptors.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laslandes
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hitzenberger
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pircher
keywords: (110.1080) Active or adaptive optics; (170.0110) Imaging systems; (170.4470) Ophthalmology; (170.5755) Retina scanning