A low-cost, high-resolution, high-contrast color digital camera optimized for ophthalmology will be demonstrated. The maximum entropy camera will be tested for its effectiveness in meeting the image quality requirements for telemedicine and for remote screening of pre-proliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The proposed device exploits recent technological advances in high sensitivity CCD cameras and digital signal processing electronics. Today's low cost 8-bit CCD cameras do not have the dynamic range to image the human retina, which is characterized by regions of high reflectivity (20-40 percent), such as the optic disc, and very low reflectivity (<2 percent), such as the macula and fovea. Existing digital cameras used in ophthalmology are not designed to deal with the high dynamic range and do not consider the special re-saturated characteristics of the retina. The proposed device will be shown to offer significant improvement over existing digital color cameras by addressing each of the deficiencies mentioned.
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