Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Photonics' impact on ophthalmology

Optics and photonics technologies have advanced ophthalmology at least as much as any other medical specialty. Both the excimer laser and optical coherence tomography (OCT) figured prominently at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. Since then, a research report urged greater access to laser and photodynamic treatments, saying such availability would reduce the incidence of future blindness.


Optics and photonics technologies have advanced ophthalmology at least as much as any other medical specialty. Both the excimer laser and optical coherence tomography (OCT) figured prominently at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. Since then, a research report, urged greater access to laser and photodynamic treatments saying such availability would reduce the incidence of future blindness.

Last week's announcement of the 2009 PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Award winner, BioPhotonic Solutions' femtoFIT, has implications for corrective eye surgery, according to the award judges. And a new low-cost camera promises to expand the technologies' impact to eye care for millions of underserved people around the world.

In another inspiring look toward the future, the open publication of a massive data base of hi-res OCT images hopes to facilitate development of macular degeneration-diagnosis software.

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