Optical coherence tomography

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique that uses light to capture micrometer-resolution, three-dimensional images from within optical scattering media (e.g., biological tissue). OCT is an application of low-coherence interferometry, which has been developed for applications including Biomedical Optics and Optical Metrology.

History[edit | edit source]

The development of OCT began with the work of David Huang and his colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the early 1990s. The first commercial systems were introduced in 1996.

Principle[edit | edit source]

OCT uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina. This allows your ophthalmologist to map and measure the thickness of each of the retina’s distinctive layers. These measurements help with diagnosis and provide treatment guidance for glaucoma and diseases of the retina.

Applications[edit | edit source]

OCT is used in several medical specialties, including Ophthalmology, Cardiology, and Gastroenterology. In ophthalmology, OCT is used to obtain detailed images of the retina and anterior segment. In cardiology, OCT is used to image coronary arteries and identify areas of thin-cap fibroatheroma. In gastroenterology, OCT is used to image the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus and colon.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Optical coherence tomography Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg
Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Bonnu, Prab R. Tumpati, MD