Standard Operating Guideline for Non-Contact Imaging DevicesCommonlyUsedinOcularSurfaceDiseases(2026)

ABSTRACT

Non-contact ophthalmic imaging examinations mainly refer to the use of instruments to examine the eyes without direct contact with the ocular surface, and they are currently widely applied in ocular surface diseases. In clinical practice, commonly used non-contact ophthalmic imaging modalities for ocular surface diseases mainly include slit-lamp microscopic photography, non-contact ocular surface comprehensive analyzers, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), anterior segment optical coherence tomography angiography (AS-OCTA), corneal topography, and non-contact corneal endothelial microscopy. Non-contact ophthalmic imaging examinations have the advantages of being non-irritating to the patient eyes, easy to operate, and associated with high patient compliance, and they provide substantial assistance in the auxiliary diagnosis and clinical treatment of ocular surface diseases. However, the use of non-contact ophthalmic imaging instruments is influenced by the technical proficiency of the operator, and examination results obtained by different operators using the same instrument on the same patient may show considerable variability. In order to standardize the operation of non-contact ophthalmic imaging instruments and improve their diagnostic accuracy for ocular surface diseases, this guideline has been formulated. This guideline mainly elaborates on two aspects: the standardized operation of non-contact ophthalmic imaging instruments and their clinical application in ocular surface diseases, thereby providing guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of ocular surface diseases.