In vivo photoacoustic chorioretinal vascular imaging in albino mouse

Abstract

Photoacoustic ophthalmoscopy (PAOM) is a novel imaging modality, which is capable of non-invasively detecting optical absorption properties in the retina. We visualize the microvasculature in retina and choroid in albino mouse using PAOM guided by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Since albino mouse characterizes by lacking melanin in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), PAOM illumination laser can penetrate through the RPE onto choroid, and consequently provides volumetric visualization of chorioretinal vasculatures as a result of strong hemoglobin optical absorption. The high-quality chorioretinal microvascular imaging acquired by PAOM implies its great potential in understanding pathological mechanisms and developing therapeutic strategies for major chorioretinal diseases that correlate with vascular disorders.