Noninvasive Diagnostic Techniques in Ophthalmology

Book excerpt: Noninvasive Diagnostic Techniques in Ophthalmology explores the special noninvasive tools developed to function as diagnostic indicators and to further our understanding of ocular function. The volume's focus is on new development in instrumentation and techniques for studying the cornea, lens, retina, vitreous, and aqueous dynamics; whereby special attention is given to how each technique has improved our understanding of basic processes and diagnostic capability. Theoretical aspects, possible sources of error, current problems and limitations, safety evaluation, and future applications and directions are considered. Topics examined include ophthalmic image processing; magnetic resonance imaging of the eye and orbit; diagnostic ocular ultrasound; corneal topography; holographic contour analysis of the cornea; wide field and color specular microscopy; use of the Fourier transform method for statistical evaluation of corneal endothelial morphology; confocal microscopy; in vivo corneal redox fluorometry; evaluation of cataract function with the Scheimp-flug camera; fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy of the crystallin lens; in vivo uses of quasi-elastic light scattering; fundus reflectometry; and clinical visual psychophysics measurements. The book offers discussions of fractal analysis of human retinal blood vessel patterns, scanning laser tomography of the living human eye, fundus imaging and diagnostic screening for public health, and digital image processing for ophthalmology, as well as a detailed appendix comprising additional topics and sources.