AI-Driven OCT Imaging: Advancing Retinal Research and Precision Care

Ophthalmology is a field that is widely shaped by rapid technological innovations. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become central for the diagnosis and monitoring of many retinal diseases, by providing images of the retinal anatomy that are continuously improving in resolution.

The Swiss Visio Retina Research Center (SVRRC) is actively implementing innovating technologies to help expand the knowledge on their core research themes: retinal diseases. With the application of artificial intelligence (AI), they demonstrate how it is now possible to enrich OCT quantification beyond the mere presence or absence of specific pathological features. The objective and reproducible quantification of retinal biomarkers such as pigment epithelial detachment (PED), intraretinal fluid (IRF), and subretinal fluid (SRF) can be helpful to characterize disease activity, follow anatomical changes over time, and assess the response to different treatment approaches.

In a recent SVRRC study of 57 eyes from treatment-naive patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), the authors evaluated if baseline retinal OCT biomarkers including PEDs and retinal fluids, hallmarks of disease activity, could predict treatment response to faricimab, a bi-specific molecule used for the treatment of nAMD. The AI-based OCT analysis enabled a detailed description of anatomical changes over one year of treatment (Figure 1) and was useful to characterize the potential role of baseline PED morphology as a prognostic factor for treatment outcomes [1]

The focused retinal-disease expertise and the high patient volumes of the SVRRC support its positive contribution to several Swiss multicentric studies. Among these, a recent study presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), a leading ophthalmological congress, focused on the analysis of different first-line therapies for central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), a disease characterized by the accumulation of SRF.2 The AI-based fluid quantification provided an objective measure of treatment-related anatomical changes. Specifically, it showed that photodynamic therapy (PDT) led to greater fluidreductions compared to subthreshold micropulse laser (SML) [2].

These two studies highlight the potential of AI-based OCT analysis and how it can enrich retinal imaging analysis with specific biomarker quantifications. This innovative tool may improve the monitoring of treatment response and even provide prognostic predictions for retinal diseases.

In 2026, the SVRRC has already published 14 peer-reviewed scientific articles. The Center is currently participating in three clinical studies, including a Phase II trial evaluating a new treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration (GALAXY, ONL Therapeutics), as well as two post-marketing studies focusing on nAMD: VOYAGER (Roche) and SPECTRUM (Bayer). The SVRRC also leads five investigator-initiated research projects and participates in medical retina research through two Swiss multicenter networks. Through these activities, the Center continues to drive innovation in the diagnosis of retinal diseases, treatment optimization, and patient care.

All current and completed projects are presented in detail on its official web page: https://www.swissmedical.net/en/swiss-visio/centres/research/retina
 

1. Bartolomeo N, Barbosa M, Pannatier Schuetz Y, Castro DG, Nascimbeni AC, Barry MP, Ambresin A. Pigment epithelial detachment as a biomarker for faricimab treatment outcomes in naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2026;36(2):296-303 doi: 10.1177/11206721251400508

2. Spitznagel T, De Oliveira Figueiredo E, Garweg R, Gabathuler F, Pannatier-Schuetz Y, Ruscitti L et al. AI-Based Quantitative OCT Imaging Reveals Real-World Effects of First-Line Therapy in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2026;67.9: PB0013-PB001.