SINCE its inception, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has been the gold standard for retinal imaging. While OCT is good, the new Fourier Domain (spatial-domain) technology used in Topcon Medical Systems, Inc.’s 3D OCT-1000 is designed to overcome some of OCT’s limitations while aiming to set a new gold standard for retinal imaging.
Large, Versatile Images Like all OCT instruments, the 3D-OCT 1000 captures axial scans of the retina and converts the data into an image of the scanned area. Conventional OCT measures radial sections and provides visualization of about 5% of the scanned area. Spatial-domain OCT enables 100% of a 6mm square area of the retina to be imaged at a depth of 1.68mm (see “Conventional vs. Spatial-Domain OCT,” below). This data is then displayed on a monitor that can present it in a variety of ways including 3-D imagery. For example, if only a particular layer of the retina such as the pigment epithelium is of interest, the software can “strip away” the other layers to focus on it.
Pin-Point Registration The 3D-OCT 1000 can also work as a fundus camera, and its True-Map™ software simultaneously displays the three-dimensional image, a two-dimensional scan, and the fundus image. A green bounding box on the fundus image tells you exactly where the 2-D and 3-D sections are. Scroll over an area on the fundus image or the 2-D scan and the positional markers in the 3-D image adjust to the current location. This exclusive registration technology, known as Pin-Point Registration™, also facilitates easy comparisons of the same area from visit to visit using the instrument’s “Compare” function. Even imported images can be registered to accommodate correlation between the imported image and the OCT scan. This is extremely useful for correlating fluorescein angiogram images to OCT 3-D scans.
Point and Click Intuitive software at the heart of the 3D OCT-1000 provides simple point-and-click ability for many of the unit’s features such as Rotate, Crop, Zoom, or Peel Back Layers. Find an area of interest? Click “Bookmark” for easy recall of that image. Importing and exporting movies or a single image is also just a click away. The Topcon 3D OCT-1000 provides fast, accurate, and unprecedented views of the retina that will broaden the diagnostic abilities of practitioners who use it. With its expansive viewing area and user-friendly features, it seeks to set a new gold standard for OCT retinal imaging technology.
Andy Winters practices in a private clinic in Stillwater, MN, and is an instructor at Regions Hospital School of Ophthalmic Medical Technology in St. Paul, MN.
