Optos Provides optomap® Ultra-Widefield Digital Retinal Imaging for Over 400 Athletes at the 2010 Special Olympics

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Optos plc, a leading retinal imaging company, provided its P200 ultra-widefield digital retinal imaging system to screen athletes at the recent 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games which took place in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities.  More than 2,800 athletes and 8,500 volunteers participated in the games.  The Optos system generates optomap images through a  non-invasive instantaneous, ultra-widefield digital scan of the retina, and these were used to perform wellness screenings for athletes as part of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program.

Over the four days, the Opening Eyes program screened around 990 athletes; more than 400 of these athletes received optomap retinal images from Optos.  Thanks to these screenings, optometrists reviewing the optomap images determined that 178 athletes had suspected eye conditions, including glaucoma, retinal tears, diabetic retinopathy and were referred for follow-up care following the games.   In addition to support from Optos, the Opening Eyes program was also supported by Essilor USA, Safilo USA, and Liberty Sport.

"In support of the Opening Eyes program, we were pleased to generate optomap images to assist the screening of the athletes,” said Roy Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Optos plc.  “The imaging process  is comfortable for the patient and easy for the clinician to perform.  Doctors can instantly review optomap images with the patients, in this case the Special Olympics athletes, and optomap-based screenings have resulted in the early detection and treatment of retinal abnormalities and in many cases have helped prevent vision loss.”

Facts about Eye Disease

• Every five seconds one person in the world goes blind.  A child goes blind every minute
• About 85% of visual impairment and 75% of blindness is preventable
• More than 3.4 million Americans are blind or visually impaired and many more are at risk of preventable vision loss
• Of the 61 million American adults at high risk for serious vision loss, only half visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months

Opening Eyes improves the quality of life for millions of individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities by optimizing their vision, eye health and visual skills through quality eye care as part of Healthy Athletes®.  Healthy Athletes is a 13-year old program designed to improve training and competition for Special Olympics athletes by providing basic health screenings, educational information and referrals for follow-up care.  Since its inception, more than 1,000,000 screenings have been conducted and more than 90,000 health professionals have been engaged in this invaluable health program for individuals with intellectual disabilities in more than 100 countries. 

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About Optos plc
Optos plc is a leading retinal imaging company. Our vision is to be recognized as the leading provider of retinal diagnostics through leveraging our unique wide-field imaging technology. Both eye and non-eye diseases often first exhibit in the periphery of the retina.  These are very difficult to detect clinically with conventional examination equipment and techniques. Optos' devices produce ultra wide-field, high resolution images of approximately 82% of the retina, something no other device is capable of doing in any one image.  The images provide optometrists and ophthalmologists with enhanced clinical information which facilitates the early detection, management and treatment of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina such as retinal detachments and tears, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.  Retinal imaging can also indicate evidence of non-eye or systemic diseases such as hypertension and certain cancers. 

Optos has a range of medical devices that support different customer segments and patient levels: the P200 device is concentrated on wellness screening carried out by optometrists and ophthalmologists in primary care; the P200C device is designed to meet the need for more exacting clinical imaging capabilities and standards in secondary care within the ophthalmology market and at optometric practices that are clinically managing a patient base with advanced ocular disease; and the P200MA device supports retinal specialists, working primarily with a diabetic patient base, in the medical care market through an advanced medical angiography procedure.  Optos' technology provides an unequalled combination of wide-field retinal imaging, speed and convenience for the practitioner and patient resulting in more targeted treatment regimes and improved patient outcomes.  75% of all blindness can be treated or prevented if diagnosed early enough and our Optos technology supports this objective.

For more information please visit our website www.optos.com