Melbourne-based tech company Cylite has developed a new hyperparallel optical coherence tomography (HP-OCT) device, capturing true volumetric 3D images of the anterior and posterior segments.

Designed by a multidisciplinary team including optical, mechanical, electrical and software engineers, the award-winning device uses novel 3D imaging to provide micron-accurate measurements of the eye, achieving rates of over 300,000 scans per second.

The challenge with OCT imaging is for patients to keep their eye still long enough to capture a clear and accurate image, Kylee Hall, Cylite CEO, told Create. “Because of this movement, existing OCT instruments need to scan the eye multiple times and use eye-tracking techniques to build up an image. With HP-OCT, however, engineers divided the current single beam into 1,008 ‘beamlets’ that simultaneously scan the eye, capturing a highly accurate 3D image in seconds.”

Existing OCT technology relies on blood vessels as reference points so its capability in the front of the eye is limited (because it doesn’t have those reference points), she said. “This is where the HP-OCT stands apart, as it can capture OCT images of the front and the back of the eye in moments and is not impacted by motion artefacts.”

“We’ve been watching Cylite develop over time, as have many people in the industry,” said Titan Optical’s Cam Gordon, Cylite’s New Zealand distributor. “It’s always shown a lot of promise and it’s wonderful to see that develop into a commercial product. We are thrilled they’ve chosen to work with us to help bring it into the market and introduce the next generation of OCT to New Zealand.”

The HP-OCT's true-volume images can be used to generate excellent 3D images of the anterior and posterior segments, highly accurate topography maps of the cornea and sclera, plus a full set of biometry parameters, including axial length, said Cylite. “The HP-OCT replaces multiple clinical instruments, saving practices space, time and money, while providing access to more comprehensive and accurate patient data.”