A YORK opticians has invested £40,000 in new 3D scanning technology.

Specsavers in Low Ousegate has bought an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine, usually used in hospitals, which allows optometrists to view the eye in more detail than ever before.

The machine is used to screen and manage conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and creates a structural scan of the eye, including layers of the eye that would not normally be visible using traditional eye tests, and are similar to an ultrasound or MRI scan.

Deryck Watts, store director, said: "This investment gives our team the ability to enhance the services to the local community by identifying and helping to detect or manage conditions, with a level of diagnostic capability which previously would have needed a hospital visit.

"OCT technology produces such a detailed picture of the structures in the eye that it allows us to identify signs of diseases years earlier than traditional methods. Given that nearly half of all sight loss is preventable, the sooner we can detect these conditions, the sooner we can help manage them or refer people for treatment."

The OCT scan takes just a few seconds and is non-contact and painless, and images will be kept on file by the optician to note how results change over time.

The scans cost £10 in addition to the usual eye test fee, and are not covered by the NHS examination.