We demonstrate the capability of a new generation adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) to resolve cones and rods in normal subjects, and confirm our findings by comparing cone and rod spacing with published histology measurements. Cone and rod spacing measurements are also performed on AOSLO images from two different diseased eyes, one affected by achromatopsia and the other by acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR). The potential of AOSLO technology in the study of these and other retinal diseases is illustrated.

A novel combination of adaptive optics with a simultaneous en-face OCT/SLO system for high resolution imaging of the in-vivo human retina is presented. Pairs of retinal images are shown and performance of the system is evaluated with and without dynamic wavefront correction. The adaptive optics closed loop system operates at a frame rate of 9 Hz and incorporates a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor based on a highly sensitive Andor camera and a 37 actuator OKO membrane deformable mirror to correct for ocular aberrations. The system produces C-scan pairs of images at a frame rate of 2 Hz. The correction of aberrations produced by the adaptive optics closed-loop system increased the signal-to-noise ratio in images obtained from volunteer eyes by up to 6 dB in the OCT channel and up to 9 dB in the SLO channel. A slight improvement in the lateral resolution was also obtained, from 6.5 μm before to 5 μm after closing the adaptive optics loop.

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Adaptive optics (AO) retinal imaging has become very popular in the past few years, especially within the ophthalmic research community. Several different retinal techniques, such as fundus imaging cameras or optical coherence tomography systems, have been coupled with AO in order to produce impressive images showing individual cell mosaics over different layers of the in vivo human retina. The combination of AO with scanning laser ophthalmoscopy has been extensively used to generate impressive images of the human retina with unprecedented resolution, showing individual photoreceptor cells, retinal pigment epithelium cells, as well as microscopic capillary vessels, or the nerve fiber layer. Over the past few years, the technique has evolved to develop several different applications not only in the clinic but also in different animal models, thanks to technological developments in the field. These developments have specific applications to different fields of investigation, which are not limited to the study of retinal diseases but also to the understanding of the retinal function and vision science. This review is an attempt to summarize these developments in an understandable and brief manner in order to guide the reader into the possibilities that AO scanning laser ophthalmoscopy offers, as well as its limitations, which should be taken into account when planning on using it.