Retinal imaging reaches new level with Spectralis HRA+OCT

With the introduction of the Spectralis HRA+OCT (Heidelberg Engineering), two diagnostic technologies for retinal imaging are available in one instrument, offering a broad range of research and clinical applications, explained Frank Holz, MD, at the Heidelberg Engineering media event prior to the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

This new instrument combines high-speed, high-resolution spectral domain OCT and fluorescein angiography, which can be performed simultaneously, making the device very patient-friendly, said Dr. Holz, University Hospital, Bonn, Germany.

"Cross-sectional images of the retina can be simultaneously mapped to any of these modalities: fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, autofluorescence, red-free image, or infrared image," he said. "These cross-sectional images offer clinicians an optical biopsy, helping with the diagnosis of retinal disease and the monitoring of therapy."

He showed examples of images that helped identify early age-related macular degeneration, pigment epithelial detachment in neovascular AMD, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, idiopathic parafoveal retinal telangiectasis type 2, and branch retinal artery occlusion.

Felipe A. Medeiros, MD, University of California, San Diego, spoke about the HRT3 (Heidelberg Engineering) device in the diagnosis and progression of glaucoma. The device is used for 3-D imaging of the optic nerve and providing a retinal nerve fiber layer profile plotted over a normative database.

In another presentation, Scott Cousins, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, covered expanded applications of the Heidelberg technology beyond glaucoma diagnosis.