A technique borrowed from quantum optics is offering a novel approach to assessing retinal health, potentially transforming a faint visual phenomenon into a practical eye test. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, working with colleagues at the University of Waterloo and the Centre for Eye and Vision Research, have enhanced the perception of Boehm’s brushes, those subtle, two-lobed, bowtie-shaped patterns sometimes visible in peripheral vision. In a study with approximately a dozen healthy volunteers, the team used a specially engineered form of polarized light to make these normally difficult-to-see patterns brighter and more complex. “Our structured light transformed the normally faint, two-lobed bowtie patterns into brighter, easier-to-see ones with a variable number of lobes,” says corresponding author Dusan Sarenac, PhD, assistant professor of physics. The research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests a future where assessing the perception of these patterns could serve as a biomarker for retinal disease.
Structured Light Enhances Visibility of Boehm’s Brushes
Boehm’s brushes, faint bowtie-shaped patterns appearing in peripheral vision, may soon become a new diagnostic tool for retinal health thanks to an innovative application of quantum optics. The team’s approach centers on structured light, a specialized form of polarized light initially developed for microscopy and precision sensing, offering a significant improvement over traditional methods of assessing retinal function. Participants viewed the engineered polarized light through an optical setup resembling a standard eye exam while researchers meticulously measured their perception of the Boehm’s brushes. This ability to manipulate the complexity of the patterns, increasing the number of lobes, provides multiple data points for assessing retinal health, moving beyond a simple yes/no detection of the phenomenon.
First author Dmitry Pushin, PhD, associate professor of physics at the University of Waterloo, details how the system dynamically adjusted contrast levels to determine each participant’s visual threshold. “Instead of simply asking participants whether they saw Boehm’s brushes, we measured how many lobes they saw, the contrast they needed to detect them and where the patterns appeared in their visual field,” he says. The initial results confirmed that healthy participants detected the patterns more readily in their peripheral vision, establishing a crucial baseline for future comparisons with individuals diagnosed with retinal diseases like macular degeneration; the team intends to investigate whether retinal damage alters the perception of these patterns, potentially offering a non-invasive method for early diagnosis and monitoring.
“The more complex patterns give us multiple ways to measure patients’ perception of the phenomenon and, potentially, the health of their retinas.”…