Autofluorescence and Light Transmission in the Aging Crystalline Lens

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Abstract
We quantitated blue-green light transmission and autofluorescence of the human crystalline lens in vivo, using an automated scanning fluorophotometer (Fluorotron®) coupled with a lens system designed for high resolution of the ocular anterior segment. Lenses were scanned through the dilated pupil along the optical axis, generating a fluorescence profile consisting of anterior and posterior juxtacortical peaks and a central plateau. Fluorescence increased linearly with increasing age. We calculated percent transmission of excitation (410–500 nm) and emission (510–670 nm) as the ratio of posterior to anterior juxtacortical peaks. Light transmission decreased as a parabolic function of age and was correlated with both fluorescence increase and observed lens brunescence.