Anterior segment biometry: a study and review of resolution and repeatability data.

PURPOSE: To obtain comparable resolution and repeatability data for a selection of anterior segment imaging devices.

METHODS: A standard letter of request was sent in May 2008 to each device manufacturer requesting resolution and repeatability data for its device to be provided according to specific definitions and protocol; if this was not already published in the peer-reviewed domain, compliant raw data were required. Where applicable, repeatability data were reported for corneal vertex corneal thickness; epithelial and flap thickness; minimum corneal thickness; corneal, epithelial and flap thickness mapping for the central 6-mm diameter; minimum residual stromal thickness; angle-to-angle diameter; sulcus-to-sulcus diameter; and anterior chamber depth. To summarize published repeatability data, a complete review of the peer-reviewed literature waas performed.

RESULTS: Nine of the 13 manufacturers contacted agreed to take part and provided the data requested: Pentacam HD (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH), Galilei (Ziemer), Visante OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec), SL-OCT (Haag-Streit), RTVue (Optovue), Artemis (ArcScan), Vumax (Sonomed), HiScan (Opticon), and Eye Cubed (Ellex/Innovative). Only one (Carl Zeiss Meditec) of 9 manufacturers was able to provide the data directly upon request, without performing a prospective study. Five of the 9 manufacturers were able to provide a complete set of repeatability data for all parameters measurable with their device; the remaining 4 manufacturers admitted that repeatability of some parameters was unknown.

CONCLUSIONS: Both literature and manufacturers' data on file were lacking and required the study to be performed. This report provides an imperfect, but most comprehensive to date, resolution and repeatability data review of biometric devices intended for surgical planning.