Faculty Collaboration Database

The locus of fixation and the foveal cone mosaic. J Vis 2005 Aug 17;5(7):632-9

Date

10/20/2005

Pubmed ID

16231998

DOI

10.1167/5.7.3

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-27144464800 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   147 Citations

Abstract

High-resolution retinal imaging with adaptive optics was used to record the position of a light stimulus on the cone mosaic, with an error at least five times smaller than the diameter of the smallest foveal cones. We discuss the factors that limit the accuracy with which absolute retinal position can be determined. In five subjects, the standard deviation of fixation positions measured in discrete trials ranged from 2.1 to 6.3 arcmin, with an average of 3.4 arcmin (about 17 microm), in agreement with previous studies (R. W. Ditchburn, 1973; R. M. Steinman, G. M. Haddad, A. A. Skavenski, & D. Wyman, 1973). The center of fixation, based on the mean retinal position for each of three subjects, was displaced from the location of highest foveal cone density by an average of about 10 arcmin (about 50 microm), indicating that cone density alone does not drive the location on the retina selected for fixation. This method can be used in psychophysical studies or medical applications requiring submicron registration of stimuli with respect to the retina or in delivering light to retinal features as small as single cells.

Author List

Putnam NM, Hofer HJ, Doble N, Chen L, Carroll J, Williams DR

Author

Joseph J. Carroll PhD Director, Professor in the Ophthalmology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Eye Movements
Fixation, Ocular
Fovea Centralis
Head
Humans
Light
Ocular Physiological Phenomena
Ophthalmoscopy
Optics and Photonics
Posture
Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells