Devine Brigid C, Dogan Alan B, Sobol Warren M
College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA.
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 Apr 23;12(5):441. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12050441.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has revolutionized the diagnosis and management of retinal diseases, offering high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging that aids in early detection and continuous monitoring. However, traditional OCT devices are limited to clinical settings and require a technician to operate, which poses accessibility challenges such as a lack of appointment availability, patient and family burden of frequent transportation, and heightened healthcare costs, especially when treatable pathology is undetected. With the increasing global burden of retinal conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy, there is a critical need for improved accessibility in the detection of retinal diseases. Advances in biomedical engineering have led to innovations such as portable models, community-based systems, and artificial intelligence-enabled image analysis. The SightSync OCT is a community-based, technician-free device designed to enhance accessibility while ensuring secure data transfer and high-quality imaging (6 × 6 mm resolution, 80,000 A-scans/s). With its compact design and potential for remote interpretation, SightSync widens the possibility for community-based screening for vision-threatening retinal diseases. By integrating innovations in OCT imaging, the future of monitoring for retinal disease can be transformed to reduce barriers to care and improve patient outcomes. This article discusses the evolution of OCT technology, its role in the diagnosis and management of retinal diseases, and how novel engineering solutions like SightSync OCT are transforming accessibility in retinal imaging.
光学相干断层扫描（OCT）彻底改变了视网膜疾病的诊断和管理方式，它提供高分辨率的横断面成像，有助于早期检测和持续监测。然而，传统的OCT设备仅限于临床环境，需要技术人员操作，这带来了一些可及性挑战，比如预约困难、患者及其家属频繁就医的交通负担，以及医疗成本增加，尤其是在可治疗的病变未被检测到的情况下。随着年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）和糖尿病视网膜病变等视网膜疾病在全球的负担日益加重，迫切需要提高视网膜疾病检测的可及性。生物医学工程的进步带来了诸如便携式设备、基于社区的系统以及人工智能辅助图像分析等创新成果。SightSync OCT是一种基于社区的、无需技术人员操作的设备，旨在提高可及性，同时确保安全的数据传输和高质量成像（分辨率为6×6毫米，每秒80,000次A扫描）。凭借其紧凑的设计和远程解读的潜力，SightSync拓宽了基于社区筛查威胁视力的视网膜疾病的可能性。通过整合OCT成像方面的创新成果，视网膜疾病监测的未来有望得到改变，以减少就医障碍并改善患者预后。本文讨论了OCT技术的发展历程、其在视网膜疾病诊断和管理中的作用，以及像SightSync OCT这样的新型工程解决方案如何改变视网膜成像的可及性。
