The Galilei G6 is a non-contact corneal tomography scanner that combines dual Scheimpflug cameras with Placido-disc topography to build a precise 3D map of your cornea. It is used to detect keratoconus before it affects your vision, to grade how advanced it is, and to plan and monitor treatment such as corneal cross-linking. A private Galilei G6 scan in the UK in 2026 costs from £195, or around £250–£450 as part of a full consultant keratoconus assessment. The scan is painless, takes about a minute per eye and the results are explained the same day.
What is the Galilei G6 — and why keratoconus needs it
Keratoconus is a progressive condition in which the normally dome-shaped cornea thins and bulges into an irregular cone. This distorts vision, causes short-sightedness and irregular astigmatism, and in the early stages it is almost impossible to detect with a standard eye test. The key to protecting your sight is catching it before significant thinning occurs — and that requires detailed corneal imaging, not just a glasses check.
The Galilei G6 (Ziemer) is a dual Scheimpflug-Placido analyser. Two rotating Scheimpflug cameras photograph the cornea from different angles while a Placido disc projects rings onto its surface. Software merges both data sets to measure the front surface, the back (posterior) surface and the full-thickness profile of the cornea at thousands of points. Because early keratoconus often shows first on the posterior surface, a device that measures the back of the cornea — as the Galilei does — can flag the condition earlier than older topography that only reads the front.
When you should have a corneal scan
- Rapidly changing glasses prescription — especially increasing astigmatism in your teens or twenties
- A family history of keratoconus — first-degree relatives are at higher risk
- Frequent eye rubbing — a major risk factor, often linked to allergy or eczema
- Blurred or ghosted vision that glasses never quite correct
- Before laser eye surgery — to rule out hidden keratoconus that would make LASIK unsafe
- Known keratoconus — to monitor for progression and decide on cross-linking
Worried about keratoconus or a changing prescription? A consultant corneal assessment includes Galilei G6 tomography and a clear explanation of what your maps show.
Book a corneal assessmentWhat the Galilei G6 measures
A single scan produces a set of colour maps and numerical indices that your consultant reads together to confirm or exclude keratoconus and grade its severity.
The scan is also essential before any laser eye surgery, because treating an eye with undiagnosed keratoconus can cause it to worsen rapidly. If keratoconus is confirmed, the same maps guide treatment choice — from cross-linking to stabilise the cornea, through to corneal ring segments or a scleral lens fitting to restore vision.
What happens on the day
The Galilei G6 scan is quick, comfortable and completely non-contact — nothing touches your eye and no drops are needed.
- You rest your chin and forehead on a padded support, exactly as you would for a normal eye-test camera.
- You look at a small fixation light while the instrument captures images — the cornea is photographed from multiple angles in about one second of acquisition per eye.
- The technician checks the scan quality and repeats it if needed; the whole appointment for both eyes takes only a few minutes.
- Your consultant reviews the curvature, elevation and thickness maps and the keratoconus screening indices.
- You leave with a clear diagnosis — keratoconus confirmed, excluded, or flagged for monitoring — and a plan for what happens next.
Understanding your results
There is no recovery or downtime — your vision is unaffected and you can drive and return to work straight away. What matters is what the maps reveal and the pathway they set:
Normal cornea
No signs of keratoconus. If the scan was a pre-laser check, you can proceed to discuss laser vision correction with confidence.
Suspicious / forme fruste
Subtle posterior changes only. Usually managed with a repeat scan in 6–12 months to confirm whether anything is progressing.
Early keratoconus
Confirmed but mild. The priority is to stop progression — cross-linking is considered, and eye rubbing must be avoided.
Established keratoconus
Vision affected by irregular astigmatism. Options span cross-linking to stabilise, ring segments, and specialist contact lenses to see clearly.
Ongoing monitoring
Serial Galilei scans compared side by side detect even small increases in Kmax or thinning, so treatment is timed before sight is lost.
Cost & what is included
A private Galilei G6 corneal scan is priced either as a standalone diagnostic or bundled into a full consultant keratoconus assessment. There are no hidden extras.
- Standalone scan: from £195 per session (both eyes imaged).
- Full keratoconus assessment: around £250–£450, including the scan, consultant examination and a written diagnosis and plan.
- Monitoring scans: repeat tomography to track progression, typically £150–£250 per visit.
- Insurance: diagnostic imaging is often covered when investigating symptoms — recognised by Bupa, AXA, Aviva, Vitality and WPA. We can advise on authorisation.
If keratoconus is confirmed, see the cost of treatment on our corneal cross-linking pricing page, and read more about the condition itself in our keratoconus guide.