Binocular optical coherence tomography.

The use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the field of ophthalmology has increased rapidly in recent years and may continue on this trajectory as more indications for OCT imaging are described. Recent pressures on the healthcare system, such as rising costs, increasing demand, and decreasing reimbursements, suggest that continued growth in OCT use may be unsustainable unless cheaper and more efficient methods are developed. Binocular OCT has the potential to decrease the cost, increase the quality, and improve the efficiency not just of OCT imaging, but of eye care as a whole. Binocular OCT devices should be cheaper to build and operate than conventional OCT instruments. They may be able to replace labor-intensive, qualitative tests with patient-operated, quantitative examinations. They could also usher in a new era of comprehensive, remote eye care and eye disease screening that has the potential to reengineer the practice of ophthalmology. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.