Patent ID: 8282211

Claim:
An apparatus for imaging the fundus of the eye using non-linearly polarized light, comprising: a light source for generating a beam of light; an optical element configured to generate a desired non-linear polarization state of light in said beam of light passing therethrough, wherein said desired non-linear polarization state of light includes any one of circularly polarized light alone and elliptically polarized light alone and excludes linearly polarized light alone; first light directing and focusing optics configured for directing the beam of light having said desired polarization state onto a fundus of a subject's eye; and second light directing and focusing optics configured for directing the beam of light reflected from the fundus of a subject's eye into an imaging detector configured for receiving images of the fundus of the eye after illumination by the beam of light, said second light directing and focusing optics being configured for collecting and imaging the beam of light coming from the pupil of the eye with minimal effect on its polarization state.