Impaired intraocular blood flow within vascular beds in the human eye are associated with certain ocular diseases including, for example, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. A reliable method to quantify blood flow in one or more of the various intraocular vascular beds could provide insight into the vascular component of ocular disease pathophysiology. Using ultrahigh-speed optical coherence tomography (OCT), a new 3D angiography algorithm called split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography (SSADA) was developed for imaging microcirculation within different intraocular regions including, for example, the ocular disc, the temporal ellipse, the peripapillary retina, the peripapillary choroid, the macular retina, the macular choroid, the fovea avascular zone, and the area of non-perfusion. As described herein, a method to quantify SSADA results was developed and used to detect perfusion changes in early stage ocular disease. Associated embodiments relating to methods for quantitatively measuring blood flow at various intraocular vasculature sites, systems for practicing such methods, and use of such methods and systems for diagnosing certain ocular diseases are herein described.
