Retinal capillary and choriocapillaris assessment using a beam modifier optical coherence tomography angiography module to increase lateral optical resolution.

PurposeTo assess a new optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) technology and its contribution to retinal vascularization and choriocapillaris (CC) exploration.MethodsA new module, named "Beam expander" (BE), which increases the lateral resolution of OCTA, was used in combination with a prototype software in the PLEX® Elite 9000 Swept-Source OCT instrument (ZEISS, Dublin, CA). This prospective study involved 22 healthy subjects imaged with and without BE. Qualitative analysis of superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary complex (DCC) retinal and CC angiograms were performed. Perfusion density (PD), vessel density (VD), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) measurements were also compared.ResultsQualitative analysis of single SCP and DCC retinal angiograms acquired with BE showed significantly better vessel sharpness (respectively, p = 0.0002, and pConclusionsAn increase in lateral resolution of the OCT beam resulted in higher quality of retinal and choriocapillaris OCTA images in healthy subjects. These results provide significant insights into the future OCTA imaging enhancements.