Retinal Thickness Analyzer
Leading Edge Diagnosis & Treatment
The Marco Retinal Thickness Analyzer is a new type of state of the art scanning laser ophthalmoscope used in the diagnosis and treatment decisions for glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal and optic nerve anomalies.
How Does the Retinal Thickness Analyzer Work
The RTA takes a series of photographs, usually 16 to 24 photographic slits, in 1/2 of a second. A computer then combines those pictures into a photograph and a 3-dimensional image. Computer software calculates the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer.
If the retinal nerve fiber layer is too thick it
may mean that there is swelling, like that found in diabetic
retinopathy. A nerve fiber layer that is too thin may be
consistent with glaucoma. In the picture above, the blue areas
represent areas of retinal nerve fiber layer thinning.
Glaucoma Diagnosis and Treatment with the Retinal Thickness Analyzer
The Retinal Thickness Analyzer aids in the early
detection of glaucoma by evaluating the health of the retinal nerve
fiber layer. Typically, a patient can lose almost 50% of their
nerve fibers before they start to lose peripheral vision. With
this new technology we can detect these losses in nerve fibers
before they permanently affect a patient's vision.
The Retinal Thickness Analyzer also gives us a 3-dimensional view of the optic nerve. This is very helpful in closely monitoring physiological changes in the optic nerve head.
Treatment and Diagnosis of the Macula
Diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration can more effectively be followed using the Retinal Thickness Analyzer. The RTA provides a non-invasive method of evaluating the health of the macula. Previously, subtle cases of macular swelling were diagnosed by a procedure called fluorescein angiography which required injection of a dye into a vein in the patient's arm and a series of photographs. The fluorescein angiography results would be available after the film was developed. The RTA provides for immediate feedback and not only indicates that there is leakage but how much.
RTA Image Archive
Video
Diabetic Retinopathy (8.3MB)
Normal Optic Nerve (7.7MB)
Normal Retina (3.1MB)