An improved optical coherence tomography system and method for measuring retina thickness is presented. The system is small, handheld, provides home surveillance, allows patients to measure themselves, and can still be robust enough to fall while reliably measuring the retina. .. The small OCT system disclosed herein is well suited for use with many previous clinical tests such as measuring retinal thickness. In some cases, the OCT system is used by the patient or by the healthcare provider. In many cases, the patient can align himself with the system, while another user can align the patient with the system and make measurements.
