Technical terminology

510(k)

pre‑marketing process under section 510(k) of the US Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act whereby manufacturers notify the FDA of their intent to market a medical device

age‑related macular degeneration or AMD

eye disease that progressively destroys the macula; AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 50 in the Western world

angiographic

diagnostic test in which dye is injected and an image created to determine the blood flow in an area

anterior segment

the front third of the eye that includes the structures in front of the vitreous humour: the cornea, iris, ciliary body, and lens

binocular indirect ophthalmoscope or BIO

an instrument designed to visualize the interior of the eye, with the instrument at arm’s length from the subject’s eye and the observer viewing an inverted image through a convex lens located between patient and instrument

cataract

a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye due to the effects of aging, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light

CE

Conformité Européene, a product marking applying to products regulated by the European Commission’s health, safety and environmental protection legislation, which indicates that a manufacturer has conformed with all the obligations required and is allowed to freely distribute the product

choroid

a collection of blood vessels in the rear of the eye which feed the retinal sensory layer with nutrients and oxygen

diabetes

a chronic health condition where the body is unable to produce insulin and break down glucose in the blood

diabetic retinopathy

a consequence of unmanaged blood sugar levels in a person with diabetes whereby the retinal blood vessels are damaged causing destruction of the retina itself

dilation (mydrisis)

widening the pupil permits the retina to be examined for signs of disease, to do this drops are placed into the eye to relax the muscles of the iris

direct ophthalmoscope

an ophthalmoscope that produces an upright, or unreversed, image of approximately 15 times magnification

ellipsoidal mirror

a reflecting surface formed to the shape of a concave three dimensional ellipse that has the property of two focal points

FDA

US Food and Drug Administration

fluorescein angiography

a procedure allowing the blood vessels at the back of the eye to be photographed as a fluorescent dye is injected into the patient’s bloodstream

fovea

located at the center of the macula which is responsible for is responsible for sharp central vision

fundus

the interior posterior surface of the eyeball which includes the retina and the macula

fundus camera

conventional device derived from practitioner photography that is used to photograph small areas of the fundus

glaucoma

disorder of the eye, characterized by increased pressure within the eyeball, resulting in damage to the optic nerve and retinal nerve fibers with resulting loss of vision

macula

highly sensitive part of the retina responsible for detailed central vision

ophthalmologist

a medically qualified specialist of eye surgery and pathology

ophthalmoscope

an instrument for examining the interior structure of the eye, especially the retina

optician

a professional in respect of which these are two variants: dispensing optician – a provider of glasses and contact lenses; ophthalmic optician – a person qualified to perform eye examinations and prescribe eye wear

optic nerve

the nerve responsible for transmitting visual information from the retina to the brain

optometrist

a primary level eye care provider who performs eye examinations and prescribes eye wear

P200™

the P200™ Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope supplied by Optos that delivers the optomap Retinal Examination

P200C

the P200C™ Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope supplied by Optos that delivers the optomap Retinal Examination and additional capabilities

P200MA

the P200MA™ Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope supplied by Optos that delivers the optomap Retinal Examination and fluorescein angiography capabilities

pathology

the manifestations of disease

posterior pole

the rear hemisphere from the central vertical equator of the eye

primary level care

the point in the health care system that is responsible for the detection of health problems

retina

light sensitive nerve tissue in the eye that coverts light into electrical impulses for transmission to the brain via the retinal nerve fiber layer and the optic nerve

retinal detachment

separation of the retina from its attachments to the back of the eyeball

retinal hemorrhage

pathology characterized by abnormal bleeding of the blood vessels in the retina, the membrane in the back of the eye

retinal hole/break

small defects in the peripheral retina often caused by the separation of the vitreous from the retina, these can lead to a larger retinal detachment

scanning laser ophthalmoscopes

a device that uses reflected laser light scanned into the eye analyse the retina

secondary level care

that part of the health care system that diagnoses health problems and is often (but not always) concerned with defining treatment plans

single image capture

a term used by Optos to discriminate a single retinal image (optomap) from a sequence of retinal images used for instance in fluorescein angiography (optomap fa)

slit lamp biomiscroscope

an instrument that combines a microscope with special lights that allows a practitioner to view the front of the eye and the retina (with the additional lens)

SLO

scanning laser ophthalmoscope

virtual point scan

a term used by the company to define the effect created by the patented system that gives rise to wide field of view created by the P200™ instrument – it conveys the effect of being equivalent to positioning a scanning system inside the patient’s eye

vitreous humor

the clear, gel‑like substance that fills the eyeball behind the lens