Reflectance evaluation of eye fundus structures with a visible and near-infrared multispectral camera

Abstract

We examined the spectral reflectance of fundus structures in the visible and near-infrared (400–1300 nm) range for contributing to the medical diagnosis of fundus diseases. Spectral images of healthy eye fundus and other ocular diseases were acquired using a novel multispectral fundus camera. Reflectance metrics were computed based on contrast to analyze the spectral features. Significant differences were observed among the structures in healthy and diseased eye fundus. Specifically, near-infrared analysis allows imaging of deeper layers, such as the choroid, which, to date, has not been retrieved using traditional color fundus cameras. Pathological structures, which were hardly observable in color fundus images owing to metamerism, were also revealed by the developed multispectral fundus camera.