Patent ID: 8346345

Claim:
A system for assessing a physiological state of a mammalian retina, in vivo, comprising: a laser for irradiating a portion of a mammalian retina, in vivo, with short-pulse light having a wavelength in the range of from 600 nm to 1000 nm at an intensity sufficient to stimulate two-photon induced fluorescence in the retina; at least one photon detector capable of detecting the two-photon-induced fluorescence from the retina for producing a pixel or detecting a second harmonically generated light emitted by a portion of sclera for determining when the short-pulse light is focused on the portion of the retina or on the portion of the sclera; and a means for collecting a plurality of the pixels and analyzing the plurality of pixels to distinguish fluorescence emitted by retinosomes from fluorescence emitted by other fluorescent molecules and producing an image visualizing at least one retinosome therefrom, to assess the physiological state of the retina based on the at least one retinosome.