Advanced Technology For a Changing World

Bella Optical has invested in state of the art technology to aid in the evaluation of spectacle prescriptions, peripheral vision, eye health, and treatment of eye diseases. We specialize in advanced technology eye care for the entire family, from the special visual needs of children to basic vision problems. Your visual health is our priority. Please join us to discover what our eye clinic has to offer you.

Corneal Mapping

Corneal topography, also known as photokeratoscopy or videokeratography, is a non-invasive medical imaging technique for mapping the surface curvature of the cornea, the outer structure of the eye. Since the cornea is normally responsible for some 70% of the eye’s refractive power, its topography is of critical importance in determining the quality of vision and corneal health.

The three-dimensional map is therefore a valuable aid and can assist in the diagnosis and treatment of a number of conditions; in planning cataract surgery and intraocular lens(IOL) implantation; in planning refractive surgery such as LASIK, and evaluating its results; or in assessing the fit of contact lenses. A development of keratoscopy, corneal topography extends the measurement range from the four points a few millimeters apart that is offered by keratometry to a grid of thousands of points covering the entire cornea. The procedure is carried out in seconds and is completely painless.

Digital Retinal Imaging & OCT Scans

Digital retinal imaging uses high-resolution imaging systems to take pictures of the inside of your eye. Traditionally, eye doctors have performed retinal exams manually. While this method is effective, there is no image record. With retinal imaging, eye care professionals can document the exam and establish a historical baseline of a patient’s eye health. It enables our doctors to monitor the structures of the eye and more easily identify changes year over year. And with retinal imaging we can review the image with you. You’ll be able to see what your doctor sees when looking inside your eyes.

Used as an early identification tool, retinal imaging enables eye care professionals to identify potential signs of eye diseases, including:

• Age-related Macular Degeneration: Macular degneration is usually signified by leaking of fluid or bleeding in the back of the eye. This causes central vision loss.
• Cancer: A dark spot at the back of the eye may signal a melanoma, which can grow unnoticed within the retina. If caught early, melanomas can be treated before they cause serious damage and travel to other areas of the body through the bloodstream.
• Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetes can cause changes in the blood vessels of the retina, like swelling and leakage or the creation of new blood vessels. Blindness can result without early detection.
• Glaucoma: Pressure against the optic nerve and compression of the eye’s blood vessels may indicate glaucoma. This disease causes permanent and irreversible vision loss.
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Signs of high blood pressure often appear first in the eye. Indicators can include narrowing of the blood vessels, spots on the retina, or bleeding in the back of the eye.
• Retinal Detachment: Retinas can lift or pull away from the wall of the eye. If not properly treated, this can cause permanent vision loss.

Digital retinal imaging is being increasingly recognized as an important part of your annual eye examination, and some insurance companies have started to offer imaging for an additional co-payment.

Optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging test that uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. With OCT, each of the retina’s distinctive layers can be seen, allowing our doctors to map and measure their thickness. These measurements help with early detection, diagnosis and treatment guidance for retinal diseases and conditions, including age-related macular degeneration and, diabetic eye disease, among others.

In addition, OCT is often used to evaluate disorders of the optic nerve. The optic nerve is made up of many nerve fibers and sends signals from your retina to your brain, where these signals are interpreted as the images you see. The OCT exam is helpful in determining changes to the fibers of the optic nerve, such as those caused by glaucoma.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is useful in diagnosing many eye conditions, including:

• Macular hole
• Macular pucker
• Macular edema
• Age-related Macular degeneration
• Central serous retinopthy
• Diabetic retinopthy
• Preretinal membranes.

“HautFingerspitzeOCT” by User:BoP, Supplied by the medOCT group, Medical University Vienna, Austria – Supplied by the medOCT group, Center of biomedical Engineering and Physics, Medical University Vienna, Austria.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 at via Wikimedia Commons

Visual Fields Testing

Visual field tests assess the potential presence of blind spots (scotomas), which could indicate eye diseases. A blind spot in the field of vision can be linked to a variety of specific eye diseases, depending on the size and shape of the scotoma. Visual field testing is most frequently used to detect any signs of glaucoma damage to the optic nerve. In addition, visual field tests are useful for detection of central or peripheral retinal disease, eyelid conditions such as ptosis or drooping, optic nerve disease, and diseases affecting the visual pathways within the brain. There are both screening tests and more extensive tests.

At our office a visual fields screening is done as part of your pre-testing before your exam. If the screening shows a defect, or the doctor suspects there may be something hindering your field of vision, we have a Zeiss Humphrey’s Visual Field Analyzer which can perform a series of in depth visual testings.

Specular Microscopy

Specular microscopy is a noninvasive photographic technique that allows you to visualize and analyze the corneal endothelium. Using computer-assisted morphometry, modern specular microscopes analyze the size, shape and population of the endothelial cells. The instrument projects light onto the cornea and captures the image that is reflected from the optical interface between the corneal endothelium and the aqueous humor. The reflected image is analyzed by the instrument and displayed as a specular photomicrograph.

Common ocular conditions, such as glaucoma, uveitis and Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, may produce changes in the structure and function of the corneal endothelium that result in corneal edema and visual impairment. Additionally, clinical circumstances, such as contact lens wear and intraocular surgery, may compromise the endothelium and cause corneal edema. An accurate diagnosis of endothelial disease may be the key in not only determining cause of corneal edema, but also developing a treatment plan.