Widefield Imaging Systems; Enables Quick Diagnosis and Treatment of Various Diseases

Widefield imaging systems, or widefield imaging, is an imaging technique where the sample is illuminated with light of a specific wavelength, exciting fluorescent molecules within it. The emitted light can be observed through the eyepiece or captured by a camera. Widefield imaging is the foundation of most cellular studies, which allows researchers to image samples quickly and easily, with low levels of sample preparation or technical expertise needed.

Clinical applications of widefield imaging systems include retinal vein occlusion, chorioretinal diseases, diabetic retinopathy, pediatric retinal diseases, macular diseases, retinal detachment, uveitis, and hemoglobinopathies. Widefield imaging involves the imaging of the peripheral retina which is the primary site of many ocular diseases. It helps in management of peripheral retina diseases. Widefield imaging systems capture 80% of retina in one image. Traditional methods typically reveal only 10 to 45% of retina at one time.

Moreover, widefield imaging systems can produce wide, as well as ultra-wide colored fundus photographs, autofluorescence images, and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiograms. Furthermore, widefield imaging systems can help diagnose and manage important ophthalmic diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusions and tumors, and diabetic retinopathy, among others. Thus, with the increasing prevalence of such diseases, the demand for widefield imaging is also increasing.

The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in the United States is high. Around 4.1 million people in the U.S. age 40 and older have diabetic retinopathy. This in turn is expected to increase the demand for widefield imaging systems in this region. Widefield imaging systems have become a part of everyday medical imaging and the ability of the imaging equipment to create highly detailed and extremely fast images have made it very popular in many medical specialties.

These imaging systems have enabled quick diagnosis and rapid treatment of a wide range of diseases and disorders. Widefield images also allow for much higher resolution and greater detail than normal pictures, which is especially useful in the field of neurosurgery.