Real-time retina tracking by a personal computer

Visual field observation and measurement provides important information regarding the diagnosis, progression, treatment, and management of many eye diseases. Before the advent of scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLO), these evaluations were made through a fundus camera. Fundus cameras make use of a conventional visual technique and observations are made either through an eyepiece or through recorded video cassettes. The time taken for each observation and measurement could be considerable and thus fatigue would arise. Therefore, to decrease the time taken greatly and to increase the accuracy of the measurement and observation, a computer is used. Data from the SLO can be easily fed directly into a computer for digitisation, analysis and processing. The processed information then can be obtained for accurate usage. For real-time applications the computer has to track involuntary eye movement and incorporate it into its analysis and processing operations. We have identified and devised a system to digitally track the miniature involuntary eye movements by detecting the shift of the retinal vessels.