A top 10-rated smartphone app for optometry and ophthalmology created by New England College of Optometry (NECO) Professor Elena Biffi, O.D., MSc, FAAO, has received key upgrades and expanded content and images.

The app, OCTaVIA v2.0, is now available for Android devices, in addition to the previously available iOS version.

OCTaVIA (Optical Coherence Tomography VIsual Atlas) is a collection of OCT images and reference information for multiple ocular diseases and retinal conditions.

 “There was an urgent need in education and clinical practice for a dedicated app that can present a well-annotated collection of OCT images for multiple diseases in a fast, clear, and easy manner,” says Dr. Biffi, associate professor of optometry and attending optometrist at South Boston Community Health Center Eye Clinic. “OCTaVIA is designed to be that app.”

The reference app helps optometry/ophthalmology students and practitioners quickly and easily finding OCT reference images to aid in patient diagnosis and care. These images can often reveal retinal disease conditions before the patients become symptomatic, shares NECO.

For a small fee, users receive access to the full content with more than 100 different ocular diseases and automatic monthly content and reference links updates. The original app, launched in 2018 for iOS users, has been downloaded close to 10,000 times across the U.S., Canada, Australia, South America, and Europe.

Dr. Biffi is also investigating approaches to apply OCT technology in vascular and neurocognitive medicine. 

“The retina contains neurons and small vessels closely resembling the cerebral vasculature in its structure and function,” she shares. “Finding retinal biomarkers and being able to predict clinical progression of vascular and cognitive disorders can lay the foundation for a potentially revolutionary approach in clinical vision and neuroscience.”

Download the app for iPhone or Android.