The ZEISS AngioPlex Metrix™ CIRRUS™ OCT is the latest generation of ZEISS products. OCT-A (also known as Angio-OCT) is a major trend in the development of OCT in recent years. OCT-A not only has the advantages of high OCT resolution, non-invasive, harmless and fast, but also can observe the morphology and blood flow of blood vessels. This property is particularly important for the diagnosis of ophthalmology, skin and cardiovascular diseases.

Image source: ZEISS official website

The most representative product in Topcon's series of ophthalmic OCT is 3D OCT, which enables doctors to see more details in the eye, which is conducive to the comprehensive diagnosis of fundus disease and ensures the reliability of the examination. The company has advanced 2018D imaging technology, anatomical stratification technology and 2D lesion localization technology, providing more information for diagnosis and treatment, and a variety of scanning methods, which can clearly present fundus images of patients with high myopia, cataracts and other patients. In February 3, Japan's Topcon announced the acquisition of ClearEdge<>D, a U.S. <>D software company, to continue to increase investment in <>D imaging, positioning and other technologies.

Image source: Heidelberg website

4）Optovue

The company independently develops on the basis of the exclusive authorized patent of Johns Hopkins University, develops EOCT products based on OCT technology, combines ultra-high-resolution tomography technology, three-dimensional rapid scanning imaging technology, three-dimensional image reconstruction technology and endoscopic technology platform to realize non-invasive "optical biopsy" for gastrointestinal cancer, which can be used for early gastrointestinal cancer screening and preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation of endoscopic surgery. At present, EOCT products have been approved by the FDA in the United States, and clinical trials and collaborative research are carried out in Mayo Clinic, Stanford University Hospital and other places in the United States. In China, the product has entered the green channel of innovative medical device approval of the State Food and Drug Administration, and is carrying out clinical trials in Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, Chinese PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital), Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University and other places.

Founded in 2016 in Suzhou Industrial Park, Argus specializes in intravascular optical interferometric tomography (OCT) system solutions, and has developed its own ArgusClarity™ OCT system and Argus NOPURGE™ disposable imaging catheter. Among them, the ArgusClarity™ OCT system has also been approved by CE, and Argus NOPURGE, the™ first fully enclosed no-flush catheter on the market in China, successfully obtained the NMPA registration certificate through the innovative green channel in 2021. Argus NOPURGE™ reduces the potential risk of impurities entering the bloodstream due to contrast agent irrigation, while reducing contrast dose, reducing the patient's renal burden and reducing the procedure steps and time.

Tupai Imaging is one of the very few companies in China that has the ability to design and develop core components of OCT systems such as sweeping lasers, interference systems, and data acquisition cards. Since 2017, Tupai Imaging has successively carried out academic cooperation with well-known medical institutions such as Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital and Union Hospital, and constantly polished the functional details of products. Tupai Sigma series ophthalmic OCT products are domestic frequency sweeping OCT developed by Tupai Imaging fully independent technology. Compared with the previous generation of spectral OCT, swept OCT has the advantages of faster scanning speed, deeper imaging depth, better patient experience, and clearer choroidal imaging.

The investment research team of Xinhenglida believes that although China's ophthalmic OCT equipment has made great technological breakthroughs after years of development, the overall technical level of China's ophthalmic OCT equipment industry still has a certain gap compared with foreign countries. China's ophthalmic OCT enterprises have done well in software algorithm research, and the main gap with imported products is reflected in the core hardware. In the future, domestic substitution needs to change the operation and sales system, and there is a long way to go to strengthen the construction of word of mouth.