Developmental approach towards high resolution optical coherence tomography for glaucoma diagnostics

Glaucoma is caused by a pathological rise in the intraocular pressure, which results in a progressive loss of vision by a damage to retinal cells and the optical nerve head. Early detection of pressure-induced damage is thus essential for the reduction of eye pressure and to prevent severe incapacity or blindness. Within the new European Project GALAHAD (Glaucoma Advanced, Label free High Resolution Automated OCT Diagnostics), we will develop a new low-cost and high-resolution OCT system for the early detection of glaucoma. The device is designed to improve diagnosis based on a new system of optical coherence tomography. Although OCT systems are at present available in ophthalmology centres, high-resolution devices are extremely expensive. The novelty of the new Galahad system is its super wideband light source to achieve high image resolution at a reasonable cost. Proof of concept experiments with cell and tissue Glaucoma test standards and animal models are planned for the test of the new optical components and new algorithms performance for the identification of Glaucoma associated cell and tissue structures. The intense training of the software systems with various samples should result in a increased sensitivity and specificity of the OCT software system.