Where is retinal OCT heading

Abstract Purpose Novel high speed detection techniques as well as development of ultra broad bandwidth and tunable light sources have recently revolutionized imaging performance and clinical feasibility of OCT. Methods Most recent technology enables to perform more than 300.000 measurements/second, allowing to perform 512x128 raster scans in 0.2 seconds, more than one order of magnitude better than state of the art commercial technology. Isotropic sampling over 512x512 pixels with 600 frames/second is therefore possible in less than a second. The development of light sources emitting at alternative wavelengths around 1060nm enabled not only unprecedented three‐dimensional OCT visualization of the entire choroid up to the choroid‐sclera interface but also improved OCT performance in cataract patients. Results Adaptive optics using deformable mirror technology correct higher order ocular aberrations interfaced with three‐dimensional ultrahigh resolution OCT, recently enabled in vivo cellular resolution phenotyping of retinal pathologies. In addition, extensions of OCT have been developed that enable non‐invasive depth resolved functional imaging of the retina, providing spectroscopic, blood flow or physiologic tissue information that might allow differentiation of retinal pathologies via localized metabolic properties or functional state. Conclusion In this view OCT is now the fastest adopted imaging technology in the history of ophthalmology and can now be considered as an optical analogue to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, not enabling full body imaging, but non‐invasive optical biopsy, i.e. micron/cellular resolution three‐dimensional visualization of retinal morphology and function.Commercial interest