gms | German Medical Science

Since the first scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) was introduced in the early 1980s, this confocal imaging modality has been adapted and optimized for various clinical imaging applications based on different contrast mechanisms. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged to the forefront of ocular imaging because of the wide variety of information it can provide, its high resolution images, and the complex 3-dimensional (3D) data it is able to gather. For ophthalmology, optical coherence tomography is of particular utility in glaucoma and retinal diseases, since it provides high-resolution objective, quantitative assessment of the retinal cellular layers affected by each disease. Especially since glaucoma is a slowly progressing disease, objective and quantitative measures could potentially provide a more accurate and precise method for the diagnosis of glaucoma and detection of its progression. Swept-source OCT technology offers inherent characteristics that are suitable for high- resolution anterior segment imaging and analysis. Such capabilities allow for non-contact imaging, detailed visualization and analytics of anterior segment structures of the human eye including the cornea, anterior chamber, iris, and lens with one device. Swept-source OCT technology can also serve as a tool to measure the axial length of the human eye. The above-mentioned structures and parameters are used in ophthalmology for corneal topography, corneal tomography, anterior segment analysis, biometry and calculation of intraocular lens power. Adaptive optics has emerged as an empowering technology for retinal imaging with cellular resolution. This technology holds potential for non-invasive detection and diagnoses of leading eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Recent micro-stimulation techniques coupled with adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy can produce stimuli as small as single photoreceptors that can be directed to precise locations on the retina. This enables direct in vivo study of cone activity and how it relates to visual perception.