Diagnostic Tests

Our doctors are proud to utilize some of the latest diagnostic technologies to detect and monitor the health of your eyes. Below are some of the tests you might have during your visit:

OCT

Optical coherence tomography, also called OCT, is a method for imaging the various layers of the retina, the optic nerve head, and the anterior segment of the eye. Similar to ultrasound, individual layers of tissue are scanned without touching the eye and displayed as a cross-section. The examination lasts a few seconds, does not require the administration of drugs, and is totally painless. OCT supports your doctor in diagnosing disease and monitoring change over time.

At Palo Alto Eye Group, we utilize the SPECTRALIS® OCT by Heidelberg Engineering with the Glaucoma Module Premium Edition to compare our patients’ eyes to a reference database of normal eyes. The precision of the SPECTRALIS system allows us to detect even small deviations from normal and confidently identify and monitor changes in the optic nerve from visit to visit.

 

Visual Field Testing

A visual field machine projects a series of white light stimuli of varying intensities (brightness), throughout a uniformly illuminated bowl. Patients use a handheld button that they press to indicate when they see a light. This assesses the retina's ability to detect a stimulus at specific points within the visual field. A typical test takes between five and eight minutes per eye.

As the gold standard of visual field testing, our Humphrey® Field Analyzer 3 (HFA3) machines offer the optimal balance of accuracy and testing speed.

 

Stereo Disc Photos

Digital stereo disc photos provide your doctor with a three dimensional view of your optic nerves. Studies have shown that structural injury of the optic nerve head is one of the earliest indicators of progressive glaucomatous damage and can precede detectable visual field loss. This technology complements OCT and visual field testing, allowing your doctor to detect glaucoma progression over time. Our Nidek AFC-230 fundus cameras provide ultrasharp images of the optic nerves for longitudinal comparison.

Biometry

Biometry involves measuring the eye in order to choose the ideal lens implant for cataract surgery. Our IOLMaster® 700 from ZEISS is the gold standard in optical biometry, providing our doctors with highly accurate measurements for surgical results that they, and you, can depend on.