Devices and methods for determining a level of FFI in a lens tissue

A system comprising:

• an illuminator including at least one light source and a focal lens positioned to receive light from the light source, the illuminator configured to produce interrogating irradiation having a peak wavelength of 425 nm to 460 nm for interrogating a lens tissue of an eye along a visual axis of the eye;
• a detector including a digital camera unit configured to obtain at least one image of the autofluorescence response of the lens tissue;
• a processor;
• a data storage device having executable instructions accessible by the processor;
• wherein, responsive to execution of the instructions, the processor:
• determines a total autofluorescence index of the lens tissue based on the at least one image;
• and
• determines a current level of FFI in the lens tissue based, at least in part, on the total autofluorescence index.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable code to:

• discriminate an autofluorescence (AF) response of a lens tissue of an eye due to a current level of 2-(2-furoyl)-4(5)-furanyl-1H-imidazole (FFI) in the lens tissue by:
• interrogating a lens tissue of the eye along a visual axis of the eye by activating an illuminator for a select time to produce interrogating irradiation having a peak wavelength of 425 nm to 460 nm, the illuminator comprising at least one light source and a focal lens positioned with respect to the light source;
• and
• obtaining at least one image of the autofluorescence response of the lens tissue from a detector, the detector including a digital camera unit;
• analyze the at least one image to determine a total autofluorescence index of the lens tissue;
• and
• determine a current level of FFI in the lens tissue based, at least in part, on the total autofluorescence index.