Preserving polarization maintaining photons for enhanced contrast imaging of the retina

A method for enhanced contrast imaging of a retina, comprising:

• directing linearly polarized input light with a polarization axis in a first direction from a source positioned on a first side of an ophthalmic lens to a quarter waveplate positioned on a second side of the ophthalmic lens;
• converting, by the quarter waveplate, the linearly polarized input light to circularly polarized input light that illuminates a retina located adjacent to the quarter waveplate and opposite the ophthalmic lens;
• converting, by the quarter waveplate, helically flipped output light reflected by the retina to linearly polarized output light with a polarization axis in a second direction;
• receiving, by a linear polarizer positioned on the first side of the ophthalmic lens, the linearly polarized output light and depolarized output light reflected or backscattered by the retina, where the linear polarizer is aligned to allow polarized output light received with a polarization axis in the second direction to pass through the linear polarizer to an imaging sensor through a camera lens;
• and
• obtaining, by the imaging sensor, an image of the retina from the polarized output light.