Optical coherence tomography (OCT) will grow beyond ophthalmology applications into a €1 billion global market (about $1.29 billion) by 2019, the research group Tematys predicts.

The ophthalmology OCT market stood at €500 million (about $647.7 million) in 2013. Demand from new biomedical applications, development of new technologies and demand from developing countries will drive OCT market growth.

OCT, which provides label-free, noninvasive in vivo imaging, could be used to addresses global public health issues such as nonmelanoma skin cancer, cardiovascular disease, Barrett's esophagus and prostate cancer.

Several functional OCT methods such as polarization-sensitive OCT, Doppler OCT or OCT combined with fluorescence are being investigated to provide quantitative information and improve diagnosis, while research is being done to improve performance and make components smaller.

For more information, visit www.tematys.com.