Small Animal Ocular Imaging Core

PROJECT SUMMARY – SMALL ANIMAL OCULAR IMAGING CORE The Small Animal Ocular Imaging Core (SAOIC) provides a wide and growing array of in vivo ocular imaging services to investigators who employ rodent models of ocular function and disease. The technological services include widefield Micron IVTM fundus camera video imaging (fluorescence and reflectance, with laser damage capability); cellular-level resolution Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy (SLO); Adaptive Optics (AO) versions of both (AO-OCT, AO-SLO); combined OCT/SLO; and polarization- selective OCT. An especially noteworthy feature of the instrumentation is its ability to repeatedly image the same retinal locus — and even the same cells — in individual mice over months. The SAOIC Director provides experimental design consultation and tutorial sessions describing the capabilities of the instrumentation to potential investigators. Because the equipment is customized and relatively difficult to operate, and the datasets collected are very large, the SAOIC staff also provide image analysis services when needed. Finally, the staff also trains the laboratory personnel of Vision Research Core Grant investigators to use key imaging tools (including the Micron IVTM camera, and the widefield OCT/SLO) when long-term studies are undertaken.