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Light scatter causes ‘grayness’ of detached retinas
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The gray appearance of a detached retina is the result of light scattering, according to an optical bench study conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University. They said their findings suggest the phenomenon results from the irregular outer retinal surface at the level of the photoreceptors.
Shizhuo Yin, PhD, and colleagues collected images of ex vivo bovine retinas and Scotch tape using a charged-coupling device camera. Mathematical modeling had predicted a gaussian distribution of laser light scattering with increased diffusion with increasing distance from the medium to the target. Image clarity increased rapidly in the first 50 µm of separation of the retina from the test target, and the rate of increase diminished thereafter. Removal of the outer retina with an excimer laser improved transparency.
The study is published in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.