Increasingly, television and films showcase the latest in modern technology. Gaining entry to a room could require a number of ‘security checks’ including fingerprint and even eye identification using scanning technology. However, these events may be more prevalent in ordinary life than you think. At this point, you would be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled upon the wrong website…but wait! You are on the Vet Image Solutions site, and you can rest assured this article does include the key components, namely animals and ultrasound

In conjunction with the previously discussed practical applications for veterinary ultrasound, ocular scanning is a somewhat novel concept in this field, with outcomes likely to benefit a number of animal species. To take one example, a specific technique labelled confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO) has been discussed in a publication by Rosolen SG et al. 2001, describing how this non-invasive procedure can result in images of the eye in dogs, monkeys and minipigs. Furthermore, this technique was postulated to be beneficial in a number of applications, including within a clinical setting. Nevertheless, it is in the context of animal identification that ocular scanning will be henceforth discussed.

Eye scanning has been exploited in animals such as dogs, cattle and horses as a means of tracking and identification. With a focus on the latter, one company (EyeD) have demonstrated a real-life use of eye scanning. They nicely show the ease, speed and benefits of using ocular scanning as a means of horse identification within the racing industry. Horse ‘essentials’ are entered onto the portable handheld scanning device, including the name, date of birth and breed and the eye is then scanned. Then, the animal can be identified following a quick eye scan.

Similarly, the SonoScape S6v has a number of uses in relation to the horse, including ocular scanning whereby the iris, lens, optic disc and retina can be imaged. This in turn allows disease diagnosis and the initiation of suitable treatment. It is thus not unreasonable to speculate that the SonoScape S6v could also utilise ultrasonography for equine identification.

Consequently, the ‘moral’ of this article should be clear; next time you are watching one of those action films, consider that the high-tech devices showcased on the silver screen may not be as far removed from real-life as you think. And finally, ocular scanning has a broad range of applications in the animal world for both disease detection and identification.