Opticare Partners with Optos to provide optomap® Retinal Exam
3/17/2006
MARLBOROUGH, MA – March 17, 2006 – OptiCare Eye Health & Vision Centers Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Refac Optical Group (AMEX: REF) has partnered with Optos, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Optos plc (LSE:OPTS), to offer the optomap® Retinal Exam, a wellness screening tool, to patients at its practices throughout Connecticut. Optos’ technology has been integrated into each of the OptiCare 18 locations.
“We have traditionally provided our patients with the latest technology available to ensure the highest quality of care,” said David Gaio, President of OptiCare Eye Health & Vision Centers Inc. “The optomap® Retinal Exam directly aligns with our commitment to state-of-the-art, efficient and thorough patient care.”
“OptiCare and Optos share a similar focus on delivering efficient, high quality care,” said Ian Stevens, General Manager of Optos Inc., North America. ”The optomap® Retinal Exam assists doctors in making differential diagnosis and at the same time is comfortable and convenient for patients. The educational value of the optomap® Retinal Exam helps patients to better understand their eye health which drives compliance with important annual exams.”
The optomap® Retinal Exam can be an important step in the clinical screening of a patient. Optos’ technology incorporates a patented scanning laser system that utilizes virtual point technology. The optomap® image is captured in 0.25 seconds. Optos has designed its P200 device with a single imaging platform capability so that it can incorporate future retinal imaging product developments and new product applications.
About Refac Optical Group - source OptiCare
OptiCare Eye Health & Vision Centers Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Refac Optical Group (AMEX:REF), which is a leader in the retail optical industry and the sixth largest retail optical chain in the United States. It operates at 543 locations in 47 states and Canada, consisting of 517 licensed departments, eight freestanding stores, 18 eye health centers and professional optometric practices, two surgery centers, one of which is a laser correction center, and two manufacturing laboratories. Of the 517 licensed departments, 351 are located at J.C. Penney stores, 67 at Sears, 49 in regional department stores, 30 at The Bay, a division of Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada’s oldest and largest traditional department store retailer, 13 departments at Meijer, and, most recently, seven at Macy’s. These licensed departments are full-service retail vision care stores that offer an extensive selection of designer brands and private label prescription eyewear, contact lenses, sunglasses, ready made readers and accessories.
About Optos plc
Optos plc is incorporated in Scotland under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number SC139953 and with its subsidiaries collectively is known as Optos plc. Founded in 1992 Optos plc is a leading medical technology company for the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of devices able to image the retina, the light-sensitive area at the back of the eye. Optos’ platform technology is the Panoramic200 Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope device – known as the P200. In a quarter of a second the P200 device produces a high resolution image of up to 200 degrees or approximately 80 percent of the retina in a single capture. The image – branded the optomap® – provides eye care practitioners with clinically useful information that facilitates the early detection of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina. Optos believes that its technology provides an unequalled combination of wide-field retinal imaging, speed and convenience for both practitioner and patient. Optos plc is headquartered in Dunfermline, Scotland and currently has approximately 200 employees serving more than 2,000 customers in four country markets – USA, Canada, UK and Germany. Optos plc trades on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol OPTS.