Kulmaganbetov M1,2,3, Pushin D1,4,5,6,7, Garrad D4,5, Kapahi C4,5, Silva A7,8, Chahal P9, Cory D10, Salehi I4,5,7, Mungalsingh M7, Singh T1,2, Thompson B1,7, Sarenac D1,6,7,9

1Centre For Eye And Vision Research, 2Entoptica Ltd, 3Kazakh Eye Research Institute, 4Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, 5Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, 6Incoherent Vision Inc., 7School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, 8Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, 9Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 10Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo

Biography:

Dr. Mukhit Kulmaganbetov, MD, PhD, AFHEA, is a distinguished ophthalmologist and vision scientist. He earned his MBBS (2016), MD in Ophthalmology (2020), and PhD in Vision Sciences (2022). Dr. Kulmaganbetov is Senior Research Fellow at CEVR Hong Kong, Co-founder/CEO of Entoptica Limited, Visiting Researcher at University of Waterloo, Research Manager at Kazakh Eye Research Institute, Research Director at Altris AI (USA), and CMO of ZebraEye (Kazakhstan). An Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he is a leader in ophthalmic innovation and quantum technology, making significant contributions to the field.

Abstract:

Purpose: To develop and validate a novel, non-invasive method for selectively quantifying circularly-oriented macular pigment optical density (coMPOD) using structured light (SL)-induced entoptic phenomena, with applications in early detection of macular diseases.

Methods: Healthy participants underwent psychophysical testing using SL stimuli with variable spatiotemporal frequencies, designed to elicit entoptic patterns sensitive to coMPOD. Retinal eccentricity thresholds were measured for five distinct SL stimuli using a staircase protocol. A spatiotemporal sensitivity model mapped perceptual thresholds to underlying macular pigment structure.

Results: Retinal eccentricity thresholds for SL-induced entoptic patterns were inversely proportional to coMPOD in the 1.5°–5.5° range. The model fit participant data with high accuracy (Pearson χ² = 0.06). The technique selectively probed coMPOD, providing interpretable metrics of macular health beyond conventional total MPOD measures.

Conclusions: Structured light entoptic assessment offers a rapid, affordable, and scalable approach for quantifying macular pigment microstructure. This method enables early detection of macular degeneration and related diseases, supporting equitable access to advanced eye health diagnostics in diverse clinical and community settings.