Results Summary.

<p>Results Summary.</p

AMD classification was based on documented clinical history and confirmed on histology.

<p>Microscopic changes observed in the macula include: diffuse sub-RPE deposits (arrowheads, A), RPE atrophy (A, B), RPE clumping (arrow, B), RPE loss (between arrowheads, B), large drusen (C), and perifoveal RPE attenuation (D) (periodic acid Schiff: A & B, x20; C, x40; D, x10). Scale bar in each panel is 10 microns.</p

A pseudo-color representation of the spectral data cube.

<p>Arrows, melanolipofuscin granules; Solid arrows, lipofuscin granules; Arrowheads, Bruch’s Membrane. Scale bar in lower left is 10 microns.</p

Donor eye information.

<p>Donor eye information.</p

Control tissue histology.

<p>Healthy RPE cells display cuboidal morphology atop Bruch’s Membrane. A-D from the macula of each of four control donors (periodic acid Schiff: A-D, x40). Scale bar in D is 10 microns and valid for all frames.</p

Representation of automated spectral analysis.

<p>(A) Thresholding of original image to remove low-intensity pixels and weak autofluorescent signal from the choroid and sclera. (B) Result of image segmentation to isolate RPE or Bruch’s Membrane. (C) The emission peak is determined by averaging the spectra of all pixels of interest and applying a linear regression fit.</p

The AF emission peak wavelength for each eye.

<p>The bars indicate the combined RPE and BrM AF emission peak wavelength of each eye (red = AMD, blue = control). The average AF peak wavelength of the AMD group was significantly lower compared with controls, with <i>p</i> = 0.02. Abbreviations: AF (autofluorescence).</p