Intrasurgical Optical Coherence Tomography

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Each year, over 20 million ophthalmic surgeries are performed worldwide. Indications for ophthalmic surgery include potentially blinding diseases, such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, macular disease, and retinal detachment. Surgeons performing these delicate procedures are challenged by the translucent nature of tissues in the eye, making it nearly impossible to visualize microstructural changes during surgery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact, optical imaging modality that provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of the various layers of the anterior and posterior eye. OCT is also commonly used to aid in ophthalmic surgical planning and post-operative assessment, and more recently, has been used perioperatively. Intraoperative OCT offers the surgeon the ability to see the microstructure of the eye in a way not possible with conventional surgical microscopes. By improving tissue visualization and providing surgical feedback, intraoperat