AAO NEW PRODUCT REPORT

New products showcased at annual meeting

Abbott Medical Optics added two products to the company’s Catalys Precision Laser System line: the Cataract Operating System 3 (cOS3) and the Liquid Optics Interface 12. The cOS3 software continuously updates the surgeon during the procedure with incision confirmation and custom modification options. Also, cOS3 produces high-resolution video streaming images that offer uninterrupted views of the patient’s eye throughout the treatment. The Interface 12 has a small suction ring diameter that expands the number of potential laser cataract surgery candidates.

Alcon acquired WaveTec Vision, which developed the ORA System with VerifEye. The intraoperative guidance system complements Alcon’s Verion image-guided pre-operative diagnostic system for cataract surgeons implanting IOLs. VerifEye gives users additional refractive information to complement ORA’s three-camera monitoring system. Alcon plans to integrate the ORA System into its existing cataract refractive suite, which includes Verion, the LenSx femtosecond laser, the Centurion phacoemulsification system and the LuxOR LX3 microscope.

Alimera’s Iluvien (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant), a diabetic macular edema treatment, is intended for patients who have been previously treated with a course of corticosteroids while not having a clinically significant rise in IOP. Fluocinolone acetonide was approved without requiring patients to have undergone, or to be scheduled for, cataract surgery. Iluvien will be available beginning the first quarter of 2015.

Avalanche’s Ocular BioFactory uses an adeno-associated virus to deliver a gene to the eye, leading the patient’s own cells to produce an anti-VEGF protein over an extended period. Ocular BioFactory features two proprietary components: directed evolution, a novel vector screening and optimization system, and an industrialized manufacturing process.

Bausch + Lomb’s ZeroPhaco I/A handpiece is designed for removal of soft cataracts following femtosecond laser fragmentation without using ultrasonic energy. The disposable I/A handpiece, equipped with either a 15° or 30° bevel needle, works with the Stellaris and Stellaris PC systems for lens removal using an I/A mode. The handpiece replaces the ultrasound phacoemulsification handpiece, and is colored green to avoid confusion with the I/A handpiece for cortical cleanup.

B+L also has reached an exclusive licensing agreement for the Cirle Surgical Navigation System, a three-dimensional, in-microscope, image-guided technology. The system uses Cirle’s proprietary “Holotags” and “Stereocapture” technology.

The Cliradex Complete Advanced Lid Hygiene Kit, from Bio-Tissue, Inc., features a formulation gel that includes a strong concentration of 4-Terpineol, a key ingredient in tea tree oil. This helps to manage symptoms of lid margin diseases, including blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, rosacea, dry eye and demodex. The kit includes a dual-sided applicator, doctor and patient materials and Cliradex lid wipes for at-home symptom management.

Heidelberg Engineering’s OCT2 is an OCT module for Spectralis diagnostic imaging. The OCT2 module combines a 70 kHz A-scan rate with Heidelberg Engineering’s TruTrack eye tracking. The module is available as an option for all Spectralis models of the Spectralis product family, and systems purchased with the advanced upgrade package or the multi-color module can be upgraded to the OCT2.

i-Optics’ Cassini corneal analysis’ updated functionality allows both anterior and posterior astigmatism measurements, potential factors in unexpected postoperative outcomes. This gives surgeons a total corneal astigmatism measurement to select the proper power and position of toric IOLs and to plan for arcuate and limbal-relaxing incisions. The multi-colored LED point-to-point ray tracing provides a GPS-like analysis of the cornea and high-resolution images to help guide surgery.

The Adjustable & Intuitive Extended Reach (A&I XR) laser probes, from Iridex, are intended for laser photocoagulation during vitreoretinal procedures, including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal detachments or tears and macular holes. The laser probes offer uniformity and consistency of treatment using both straight and angled configurations. Available in 20-, 23-, and 25-gauge models, the A&I XR laser probes include the option of finger or thumb actuators to guide the extension and retraction of the laser fiber.

Jasper Ridge’s LuxIQ measures lighting needs for near tasks for clinicians, researchers and educators. The LuxIQ allows users to quantify near vision performance over a broad range of light levels, color temperatures and colors to prescribe optimum task lighting brightness and color.

Neucodia’s EvokeDx, marketed by Konan Medical, is a visual pathway diagnostic platform to assess visually evoked potentials and electroretinograms. Features include patented test strategies designed to isolate and test various visual pathways and functions, with Fourier-transform frequency analysis methods, organic LED stimulus display and an automated gaze tracking system.

The MacuLogix AdaptDx dark adaptometer is a fully automated device that provides an objective measure of dark adaptation speed for the recovery of vision when going from bright light to darkness. The technology will be developed to address AMD early detection and tracking.

MacuStrip, from Macular Health LLC, is a fast-dissolving oral strip that delivers medical-grade vitamins for preventing and treating ocular conditions. The product aims to remove the difficulties of swallowing multiple pills, ensure reliable dosing, eliminate GI issues for those with a sensitive stomach and improve adherence.

Optovue’s iScan features software-guided scanning technology designed to make OCT technology accessible to a range of eye-care professionals. The device helps guide patients during exams with minimal operator involvement through audible cues. iScan uses Optovue’s iWellness scan to provide a cross-sectional view of the retinal layers, a retinal thickness map and a ganglion cell complex map. These outputs help physicians identify signs of disease and analyze ocular health.

PRN’s Omega Essentials High Potency Liquid is intended to provide direct absorption and to ease digestion of active omega-3s. Available in a lemon/lime flavor, one teaspoon per day of Omega Essentials High Potency Liquid provides a 3:1 ratio of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)/DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in its purified triglyceride form, combined with vitamin D3.

Topcon released several devices, including the following:

• The KR-800S auto-kerato/refractometer, which incorporates subjective visual acuity testing to refine a patient’s mesasurements and a glare testing function to assess patients’ visual acuity under glare conditions.

• The TRC-NW400, a fully automated non-mydriatic retinal camera. The camera allows users to capture high-resolution retina and anterior segment color images. Its optical head moves from one eye to the other without operator intervention.

• The TRC-NW8F Plus, a multi-functional retinal camera with color, red-free and FAF capabilities, using the company’s Spaide FAF filters. The device can be upgraded to perform fluorescein angiography as well.

• The PASCAL laser indirect ophthalmoscope, which allows physicians to perform pattern laser photocoagulation treatments on patients who cannot sit at a slit lamp. Users can select from myriad laser patterns and sizes to treat a range of retinal disorders.

• The SP-1P, which automatically centers, focuses and acquires endothelial cell images. The device requires minimal training; an operation takes a few seconds.

The Zeiss Cataract Suite is designed to assist physicians with incision placement, IOL centration along the patient visual axis and alignment of toric IOLs along the optimal target axis. It uses a “markerless” process that incorporates a reference image of the limbal blood vessels captured preoperatively. The image is superimposed on the microscope image during surgery.

The company has added multiple products to its Essential line. The line now features the VISUPHOR 500 digital phoropter and the VISUSCREEN 100/500 acuity charts for subjective refraction; the portable VISUSCOUT 100 fundus camera for retinal examinations; and the VISUPLAN 500 no-contact tonometer for IOP testing. OM

Zeiss Cataract Suite