Heidelberg, Germany—February 14, 2014— Since its arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 15th, 2013, Heidelberg Engineering’s Spectralis OCT device is being used regularly for eye examinations of ISS crewmembers. First on-orbit tests of the instrument were conducted successfully on June 21 of last year. The first ever OCT examination in space was performed with a commercial SPECTRALIS OCT device on board ISS on October 16, 2013. Since then, ISS crewmembers are being examined in 1- to 2-week intervals. The examinations are part of NASA’s Ocular Health Study, which seeks to understand ocular changes in astronauts during long-term space missions. Crewmembers had Spectralis OCT baseline examinations prior to their missions on Earth. The on-orbit follow-up examinations now allow observation of possible ocular changes developing. The close follow-up examinations are facilitated by the Spectralis’ AutoRescan function, which ensures that serial OCT images on Earth and in space are taken at the exact same retinal location.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, performs SPECTRALIS OCT examination on board the International Space Station (ISS). (Image Credit: NASA)
Prospective Observational Study of Ocular Health in ISS Crews (Ocular Health) : http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/204.html
About Heidelberg Engineering GmbH
Headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, this privately-held company is a leader in light-based medical devices for ophthalmic applications. The company designs, manufactures and markets a variety of diagnostic instruments for application in retina, glaucoma and cornea diseases. The company has direct operations in the US with corporate offices in Carlsbad, California, in the U.K. with offices in Hemel