Purpose:
To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of ultra–high speed ultra–high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) in vivo images of human eyes with open angle glaucoma.
Methods:
This prototype SDOCT system utilized a commercially available superluminescent diode (SLD) (Superlum, Russia) with a polarized power of 4.6 mW and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral width of 50 nm centered at 840 nm.
Results:
Select images will be presented from three eyes with varying stages of open angle glaucoma. The left eye of a 52 year old Caucasian male patient with early open angle glaucoma was imaged. The left eye of a 73 year old Caucasian female with moderate normal tension glaucoma was imaged. Lastly, a 53 year old Cape Verdian male with advanced pigment dispersion glaucoma of the right eye was imaged. SDOCT images were obtained at a speed 73 times faster than commercially available OCT machines. Resolution was 6 microns. The optical power directed into the eye was 600 microwatts, which is less than that of the Stratus OCT3. Various structural changes associated with glaucoma can be demonstrated by these images and videos: glaucomatous cupping, glaucomatous retinal nerve fiber layer thinning, baring of blood vessels exposed by a thinned retinal nerve fiber layer, and visualization of how the rim of a "bean pot" cupped optic nerve can create bayoneting of blood vessels.
Conclusions:
For the first time, this shows the feasibility of simultaneous ultra–high speed ultra–high resolution SDOCT video imaging of eyes with glaucoma. SDOCT has the potential for better structural evaluation of eyes with glaucoma compared to all current commercially available machines, which have all relied on time domain optical coherence tomography.
Keywords: imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • imaging/image analysis: clinical • anatomy