Rob Kennedy is the CEO of Optos Plc, a retinal imaging company headquartered in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, with locations around the world. Optos devices facilitate the early detection, management and effective treatment of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina, such as retinal detachments and tears, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR) and AMD. Mr. Kennedy previously held positions in a number of international manufacturing organizations across a variety of sectors.

Ophthalmology Management: Optos has four core imaging platforms: the Daytona, Monaco, California and Silverstone. How do they work, and are they currently available in the United States?

Rob Kennedy: All four platforms use confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy technology to produce an optomap, ultra-widefield (UWF) high-resolution digital image that captures approximately 82% and 200° of the retina in a non-contact, single image. They are all available in the United States.

The Daytona platform offers optomap UWF as well as autofluorescence (AF) images. The Monaco platform combines optomap UWF with widefield (40°) central pole spectral domain OCT.

The California range of models all feature a motorized head and chin rest to more easily align patients who require additional assistance. It features multiple imaging modalities, including 3-in-1 color depth imaging (color, red-free and choroidal in a single image), AF, dye-based imaging modalities fluorescein angiography (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICG). It also features interweaved angiography for parallel capture of FA and ICG images without manually switching between imaging modalities.

Silverstone, our newest platform, is the only UWF imaging device on the market with integrated swept-source OCT, enabling optomap-guided OCT scanning across the retina and into the far periphery.

All platforms come with the OptosAdvance browser-based image review software, which allows for simple documentation, monitoring and referral processing to assist in patient management and improved patient flow.

OM: Optos’ most recent addition is the first UWF CE-marked AI that facilitates early detection and management of DR. How does it work, and will it be available in the United States?

RK: Optos AI for DR is the only UWF retinal imaging tool for rapid, AI-based DR screening. It is the first CE-marked AI-based solution to automate the detection of more-than-mild DR and diabetic macular edema (DME), using optomap UWF retinal images. Our plan is to bring this technology to the United States, as well.

This autonomous machine-learning-based system was co-developed by Optos, Nikon Corp. (which acquired Optos in 2015), Verily Life Sciences and Google LLC, to provide rapid automated screening of DR and DME.

OM: What unmet needs do you feel are faced by ophthalmologists and their patients, and how can Optos help with them?

RK: The aging population and increasing prevalence of diseases such as diabetes have put physicians under greater pressure than ever to balance the need for maximizing efficiency whilst delivering the best possible patient care. The optomap addresses these challenges with the ability to capture a high-quality 200° image in less than half a second.

Also, several recent studies, including one conducted at a West Coast research university in the United States¹ and another funded by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service,² found that the utilization of UWF multi-modal imaging had a significant positive impact on efficiency, allowing clinics to evaluate more patients faster without sacrificing clinical accuracy.

Another challenge facing physicians is enhancing and increasing access to care to identify at-risk patients. One recent study conducted in a university setting³ assessed the use of UWF optomap for screening patients with type 2 diabetes at an internal medicine clinic and found that the program increased the internal medicine DR screening rate without a significant increase in exam time. Investigators also found that 28% of patients with DR were new to the ophthalmology department (thus not previously in the care of an eye doctor).

OM: Optos recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Tell us about the importance of this milestone.

RK: I joined Optos because I was amazed by its optomap technology. I also felt inspired by the company’s mission to create a patient-friendly device to capture a digital UWF image of the retina, which began when our founder Douglas Anderson’s son lost sight in his left eye as the result of a retinal detachment.

When Mr. Anderson set out to invent a tool to help physicians more effectively examine the retina, not even he imagined that this journey would result in having a major impact in the field of eye care. We have remained true to the core purpose of improving patient outcomes by providing imaging technology to help reduce the risk of sight loss. Today, more than 23,000 optomap devices are in use worldwide.

We are grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers, employees, clinicians, researchers and the entire eye-care community over the past 30 years. We look forward to continuing to support our customers and their patients with our current and future technologies in the years and decades to come. OM

References

1. Lin CC, Li AS, Ma H, et al. Successful Interventions to Improve Efficiency and Reduce Patient Visit Duration in a Retina Practice. Retina. 2021;41(10):2157-2162.
2. Lois N, Cook JA, Wang A, et al. Evaluation of a New Model of Care for People with Complications of Diabetic Retinopathy: The EMERALD Study [published correction appears in Ophthalmology. 2021 Jul;128(7):1117]. Ophthalmology. 2021;128(4):561-573.
3. Nguyen M, Le P, Tanner J, et al. The Utility of Ultra-widefield Retinal Imaging with Telemedicine for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening, presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting 2020.