Optovue, a global leader in the development and commercialisation of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), announced commercial availability of AngioAnalytics, the next generation of its OCTA technology available on the AngioVue Imaging System, for use outside of the US. This new capability enables clinicians to quantify the density of blood flow in the retina, the light-sensitive portion of the eye, to help manage diseases that cause progressive blindness such as diabetic retinopathy or acute macular degeneration.

Optovue also announced it will host an educational symposium at the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC 2016) entitled, “The Transformative Power of Quantitative OCT Angiography” on February 7. Moderated by David Huang, M.D., Ph.D., the evening symposium will feature four industry experts who will present recent clinical findings on OCTA, the AngioVue System and AngioAnalytics.

“AngioAnalytics adds an important element to the treatment algorithm by quantifying the density of blood vessels in the eye where blood flow can be detected,” said Richard Rosen, M.D., FACS, FASRS, CRA, professor of ophthalmology and director of retina at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

“Early detection of eye disease is essential for optimising treatment, and for the first time, changes to the patient’s retinal microcirculation can be quantified using a non-invasive method. Additionally, we are able to track these changes from visit to visit to better understand the rate of disease progression and the efficacy of treatment. It is certainly feasible that this new information will change the clinical management of diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and other diseases that progressively rob patients of their vision,” continued Dr. Rosen.

Since its introduction, Optovue’s AngioVue System has been installed and incorporated into daily clinical use at over 500 sites outside of the US, and is the subject of 88 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

“The availability of our breakthrough AngioAnalytics technology raises the standard of care available to patients while improving practice workflow and diagnostic confidence,” said Jay Wei, founder and chief executive officer for Optovue. “With the addition of AngioAnalytics to the AngioVue system, clinicians now have objective data regarding the areas encompassed by flow and non-flow regions, as well as a visual map of the blood flow in the retina.”

The AngioVue System embodies OCTA technology, which uses light rays to form detailed three-dimensional images of the retina so physicians can quickly visualize the anatomic structures and abnormalities present. In less than three seconds, the AngioVue System acquires a single image that complements the current angiography imaging standard, fluorescein angiography (FA), but with a number of advantages. Unlike FA, the AngioVue System is non-invasive and does not require the use of dye injections, which can often obscure the target anatomy and lead to diagnostic uncertainty.

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by a predictable progression of vascular changes in the circulation of the retina ultimately leading to areas without any blood flow at all. In later stages of the disease, the growth of new blood vessels occurs along with an overall thickening of the central part of the retina. According to the World Health Organization, diabetic retinopathy is responsible for nearly two million cases of blindness globally. The same source lists age-related macular degeneration as the third leading cause of blindness in the world, which is characterized by a loss of vision in the central visual field.

The World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) of the International Council of Ophthalmology is the longest continuous international medical meeting, first held in 1857. Held every two years, the next WOC will take place in February 2016 in Guadalajara, Mexico.