The Chester Eye fund want to purchase an Optos ultra-wide field retinal imaging machine.

The Optos ultra-wide retinal imaging machine is an advanced, state-of-the art scanner that produces colour images of the thin layer of tissue that lines the back of your eye (retina). The retina is responsible for producing what we see by receiving light and images and sending these signals to the brain via the optic nerve.

The Optos scanner produces high quality colour retinal images over a greater area of the retina meaning that our eyecare professionals can identify eye disease in more difficult to visualise areas with greater ease and accuracy. This particular machine can also perform dye tests that we are unable to do for people who come in with problems within the peripheral retina. Alongside this the capability of performing OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) in areas that we are not at the moment able to access is a feature we are going to be able to use, which will help greatly from a diagnostic/monitoring view point. The detailed views provided by this machine provide many benefits including being quick and easy to perform, even in children, improving clinic flow, and potentially earlier identification and treatment of certain eye conditions.

This camera will decrease the amount of waiting time for imaging and will enhance the experience when coming through the department.