A polarization measurement method for the quantification of retardation in optic nerve fiber layer

Yasufumi Fukuma; Yoshio Okazaki; Takashi Shioiri; Yukio Iida; Hisao Kikuta; Kazuhiko Ohnuma

doi:10.1117/12.762764

11 February 2008 A polarization measurement method for the quantification of retardation in optic nerve fiber layer

Yasufumi Fukuma, Yoshio Okazaki, Takashi Shioiri, Yukio Iida, Hisao Kikuta, Kazuhiko Ohnuma

Proceedings Volume 6844, Ophthalmic Technologies XVIII; 68441A (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.762764
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2008, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

The thickness measurement of the optic nerve fiber layer is one of the most important evaluations for carrying out glaucoma diagnosis. Because the optic nerve fiber layer has birefringence, the thickness can be measured by illuminating eye optics with circular polarized light and analyzing the elliptical rate of the detected polarized light reflected from the optic nerve fiber layer. In this method, the scattering light from the background and the retardation caused by the cornea disturbs the precise measurement. If the Stokes vector expressing the whole state of polarization can be detected, we can eliminate numerically the influence of the background scattering and of the retardation caused by the cornea. Because the retardation process of the eye optics can be represented by a numerical equation using the retardation matrix of each component and also the nonpolarized background scattering light, it can be calculated by using the Stokes vector. We applied a polarization analysis system that can detect the Stokes vector onto the fundus camera. The polarization analysis system is constructed with a CCD area image sensor, a linear polarizing plate, a micro phase plate array, and a circularly polarized light illumination unit. With this simply constructed system, we can calculate the retardation caused only by the optic nerve fiber layer and it can predict the thickness of the optic nerve fiber layer. We report the method and the results graphically showing the retardation of the optic nerve fiber layer without the retardation of the cornea.

Citation Download Citation

Yasufumi Fukuma, Yoshio Okazaki, Takashi Shioiri, Yukio Iida, Hisao Kikuta, and Kazuhiko Ohnuma "A polarization measurement method for the quantification of retardation in optic nerve fiber layer", Proc. SPIE 6844, Ophthalmic Technologies XVIII, 68441A (11 February 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.762764

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available