Collaborative research has led to the development of an adaptive optics-optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) system that allows ophthalmologists to see the eye's retina at the individual level.

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL), the Indiana University School of Optometry, Boston Micromachines and the University of California, Davis have built three AO-OCT instruments with the help of the National Eye Institute. These devices provide non-invasive, ultra-high resolution, three-dimensional volumetric retinal images for ophthalmologists and optometrists to view the cellular level structure in the human retina. This capability is expected to allow doctors to diagnose retinal diseases early and follow their progression as well as track the progress of genetic therapies that reverse the diseases.

Using the same principles that allow astronomers to view distant objects the device reportedly represents a revolutionary advancement over current instruments.