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Adaptive optics retinal imaging available but limited by high cost
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HYDERABAD, India — By combining adaptive optics with the latest techniques in optical coherence tomography, scientists will open the door to visualization of the cellular details of the retina, altering how retinal diseases are diagnosed and managed, according to one speaker here.
“In the new era of pharmacologic, molecular and genetics therapies, [adaptive optics] OCT instruments could represent a giant step forward,” SriniVas R. Sadda, MD, said at the joint meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and All India Ophthalmological Society.
SriniVas R. Sadda
Conventional imaging approaches do not allow observation of individual retinal cells due to aberrations present in the optics of the eye that blur retinal images, but adaptive optics technology is capable of overcoming this limitation.
“By imaging cells, we’ll have the opportunity to detect early changes in diseases like diabetes, [age-related macular degeneration] and glaucoma and understand more about pathogenesis,” Sadda said.
This new technology is already available, he said. A flash fundus camera with adaptive optics produced by Imagine Eyes is commercially available. Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and OCT research lab prototypes already exist, but it is still unclear whether these machines can be used for more than research purposes.
“The cost of this technology is still too high for the market, and companies need to make sure that there is a market before they decide to launch them at a reduced price,” Sadda said.
Disclosure: Sadda has no relevant financial disclosures.