Optical Coherence Tomography
What is Optical Coherence Tomography?
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a diagnostic imaging technique that is used to map and measure the thickness of the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye). It uses low-intensity infra-red light to generate cross-sectional images of the retina. OCT is a quick, non-invasive and non-contact procedure that provides fine details of each layer of the retina.
Your doctor instils eye drops to dilate your eye. A beam of infra-red light is passed on the eye from an OCT system. The system scans your eye for 10 to 15 minutes. The light that is reflected is captured by detectors and produced into an image.
OCT is used in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (damage of retina in diabetics), age-related macular degeneration (deterioration of the centre of the retina), macular oedema (accumulation of fluid within the retina) and other retinal disorders.
