Patent ID: 7502639

Claim:
A method of analysing retinal metabolism over at least a portion of a cardiac cycle, the method comprising using a retinal function camera to perform the steps of: a. illuminating a portion of a retina of an eye with light of a first wavelength; b. producing a first image of the portion of the retina illuminated with the light of the first wavelength; c. illuminating the portion of the retina with light of a second wavelength, the first and second wavelengths being selected such that absorptivity of light of the first wavelength by oxygenated blood is greater than absorptivity of light of the second wavelength and the absorptivity of light of the first wavelength by deoxygenated blood is less than absorptivity of light of the second wavelength; d. producing a second image of the portion of the retina illuminated with the light of the second wavelength; e. processing the first and second images with image processing means to map relative oxygenation of the portion of the retina as an indication of retinal metabolic function of the portion of the retina; and f. repeating steps a) to e) within the at least a portion of a cardiac cycle to analyse metabolic function changes of the portion of the retina to detect a haemoglobin oxygenation image data retinal arterial waveform within the at least a portion of a cardiac cycle to provide synchronisation with a cardiac cycle of a subject for analysing retinal metabolic image data over the at least a portion of the cardiac cycle.