What is a 3D OCT?
The OCT, which stands for Optical Coherence Tomography, is a medical imaging technique that provides a very high resolution image of the retina, the optic nerve, and the anterior segment of the eye, including the cornea and the iris. Think of the OCT as a high resolution MRI that provides a 3-dimensional image of your retina to your doctor, but instead of using magnetic imaging, it only uses light.
The basics of the science behind it is that it uses low-coherence light to send it through your pupil and into the back of your eye, which will look to you almost like a red line scanning from top to bottom, and the light is reflected and scattered by your macula, optic nerve, or both, depending on where we focus the OCT and what region we want to take a look at. The OCT is able to differentiate the returning light into a cross-section of your eye, with a functional depth of a few millimeters, to see what your eye looks like at the surface and just underneath it. After some sophisticated analysis by the machine, it compiles the scan together into one 3D image that the doctor uses to see what the surface of your eye is like.
The OCT's technology allows it to discern details of the eye, down to 1/1000th of a millimeter, for precise observation of how your eye is doing. A general 3D OCT scan is included as part of your Optos Advanced Retinal Imaging, and it is most commonly used when examining eye pathology, such as:
- Glaucoma,
- Macular Degeneration,
- Macular Puckers,
- Epiretinal Membrane,
And other types of pathology. One may be performed at your Eye Care Center of Ocala eye exam depending on if you have any possible eye conditions to monitor.
At Eye Care Center of Ocala we are always using the best equipment to provide the best care for our patients!
