Montreal, QC, Canada--Photon etc. has unveiled IRIS, a new instrument for non-invasive localization of biomolecules in the eye fundus. Based on a custom-made mydriatic retinal camera and Photon etc.’s tunable laser source, IRIS allows high-definition retinal imaging at any wavelength from 420 to 1000 nm (mydriatic means the pupil must be dilated for the examination). IRIS is intended for research rather than clinical use and is aimed at understanding retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
IRIS allows the noninvasive localization of structures and biomolecules in the retina based on their specific spectral signatures. In collaboration with the Glaucoma and Retina Research Group at the University of Waterloo/University Health Network, Photon etc. is developing a method to study retinal blood vessels and their blood oxygen saturation.
The tunable source in IRIS contains a supercontinuum white-light source and a rapidly adjustable spectral filter based on Photon etc’s Bragg-grating filtering technology, allowing for accurate (< 1 nm) wavelength selection from the source. The instrument's automatic spectral calibration setup ensures spectral reproducibility in time, while an integrated photodiode provides temporal normalization of the light intensity.
