One of the questions ocular health practitioners ask about Ultra-widefield retinal imaging (UWF™) is about optomap acceptance rates. Will patients really be interested in a new and possibly unfamiliar diagnostic procedure that’s not covered by insurance? It’s the right question, because even a proven technique such as UWF is of limited clinical value if patients are reluctant to authorize the procedure.

Many doctors using UWF imaging report high optomap acceptance rates, leading to improved patient experience, better patient flow, and faster recovery of initial system costs. They’ve accomplished this by engaging their patients on a number of levels.

Explaining the Benefits

One common practice among doctors reporting high acceptance rates is that they take the time to explain to their patients the real medical benefits from incorporating an optomap into their annual examination. While comfort and convenience are also patient considerations, having an engaged and properly trained staff that can explain the medical benefits before, during, and after the exam is more impactful. As one doctor said:

“Explaining the tests you are performing, including high-level testing like optomap, that come with an out-of-pocket expense, need not add significant time to pre-testing. For that small amount of time and effort, …

As the longer, sunny days of summer approach, many people pull a pair of beat-up, dusty sunglasses out of the side pocket of their car door and start wearing them while driving or spending time outdoors. The problem? If you think you’re doing everything you can to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, you may be making a big mistake.

UV Rays – A Year-round Fact of Life

Most people have heard or read that long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays increases the risk of developing a variety of eye-related health problems. Cancer and benign growths on the eye (pterygium, also known as surfer’s eye or farmer’s eye) is associated with increased UV exposure, but of bigger concern are cataracts, which are found in 30 percent of those aged 70 to 74 years of age, and in more than 50 percent of those over 80. UV radiation is known to contribute to the protein breakdown that helps cause cataracts and impaired vision.

But less well understood is the fact that we’re exposed to UV radiation all year-long.

— The two types of UV radiation that present health risks are UV-A and UV-B. They are part of …

Ultra-widefield retinal imaging (UWF™) is helping to identify retinal pathology that could have prognostic value in estimating the risk of some systematic diseases.

A topic of continuing interest in the health community is the use of retinal pathology to predict the risk of systematic diseases such as Alzheimer’s. If retinal pathology with significant prognostic value can be identified and this pathology can be quickly and reliably characterized, there’s the prospect for better and more cost-effective health screening on both an individual and community level. Multi-modal ultra-widefield imaging is beginning to be applied to research efforts that are exploring these correlations in greater detail.

About UWF Retinal Imaging

Ultra-widefield retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200 degrees (or about 82 percent) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (75 degrees or less) of the center-portion of the retina.

The SLO simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red – 633 nm and green – 532 nm) that enable high-resolution, color imaging of retinal substructures. The resulting UWF digital image – optomap – is produced …

As the July 4^th holiday approaches, the nighttime skies around the U.S. begin to light-up with amateur fireworks – a kind of opening act for the professional exhibitions to come. What the pretty lights hide is that these do-it-yourself shows are truly hazardous, sending as many as 10,000 people a year to emergency rooms. The vast majority of these admissions take place during the months of June and July.

Inherent Dangers – Painful Injuries

Amateur fireworks are inherently dangerous – the simple act of using them creates hazards for both users and those nearby. Some findings from a 2014 Consumer Product Safety Commission report make this point again and again:

— Fireworks malfunctions – tip-overs, errant flight paths, early ignitions – account for an estimated 26% of injuries. (In one possible malfunction, the report cites a 14 year-old who suffered severe head trauma when a launch tube exploded. He died after nine days in the hospital.)

— Another 13% of injuries had as their root cause that the victim was too close.

— So called “safe” fireworks like sparklers and bottle rockets accounted for 15% of injuries.

— Thirty-six percent of those injured …

The annual eye exam. It’s on everyone’s “to-do” list, but it’s understandable why people tend to put it off – eyesight is something many of us take for granted. Before you push eye exams for you or your family further down the list, consider the following points:

1. Poor eyesight can hurt child development and learning

Babies, preschoolers and students all need good vision and healthy eyes to grow and learn. For babies, it’s an essential part of tracking, grasping and other basic skills that require eye-hand coordination. Preschoolers under five years of age need good eyesight in order to comprehend numbers, colors and shapes. Older children can’t read, write and learn at their grade level without the ability to clearly see the printed page and classroom presentations.

Remember, six out of ten people wear corrective lenses, which means the chances are good that your child will also need them.

Experts suggest that baby’s first eye exam should come at between six and twelve months, (an earlier exam may be needed if there are signs of vision problems). Absent any guidance from your doctor, your child’s next well-check eye exam should come at age three. Once in …

One of the unique features of Ultrawide-field (UWF™) retinal imaging technology is the availability of multiple imaging modalities, including color, fluorescein angiography (FA), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), red reflectance (RR), and indocyanine green angiography (ICG). Facilitating comprehensive examination of the retinal periphery, application of multiple UWF imaging modes can identify pathology that might otherwise be missed with a single imaging modality and/or conventional narrow-field fundus photography.

A recent study, Ultra-Widefield Imaging with Autofluorescence and Indocyanine Green Angiography in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy¹, demonstrates this capability using UWF FAF and UWF ICG in a central serious chorioretinopathy (CSC) retrospective observational case series.

CSC leakage from the choriocapillaris through the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) causes macular detachment, which in turn can cause visual impairment or, in recurrent or chronic cases, blindness. Fundus autofluorescence (which can characterize the health of the RPE) and ICG chorioangiograpy (which can characterize choroid circulatory function) are both used in CSC diagnosis and treatment, but in the past have been limited to conventional, narrow-field views.

Study Subjects and Methods

The study examined 65 eyes (35 patients), all with CSC. Thirty-three patients had chronic CSC, which was defined as persistent/recurrent retinal detachment for more than 120 …

Summer’s almost here, and along with it comes lots of outdoor work and play that can expose your eyes to an assortment of seasonal risks. Here are five eye safety tips that can keep your eyes (and the eyes of your significant others) summer-safe.

1. Summer sports means flying objects — don’t become a statistic

Golf, baseball, volleyball, badminton, softball, soccer, archery and more — many summer sports are about things small and large zipping through the air, sometimes with unfortunate results. It’s estimated that more than 40 percent of eye injuries are sports- or recreation-related.

You can purchase low-cost, impact-resistant specialized eyewear for sports from any sporting goods store and almost every major online retailer. It’s an easy way to make sure you, your spouse and your children don’t become statistics.

2. Fireworks — even the “safe” kind can hurt you

Fireworks send more than 10,000 people a year to emergency rooms, with about 38 percent of those admissions comprising of injuries to the eyes, head, face and ears. And it’s not just “unsafe” fireworks that are behind these numbers — sparklers and bottle rockets accounted for 15 percent of the injuries.

…

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the world’s third most common cause of vision impairment and the primary cause of vision impairment in industrialized nations. With age being the most important risk factor, eye care practitioners serving rapidly aging populations can expect to see a growing number of AMD patients.

Ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology is now being used to characterize the peripheral vascular abnormalities associated with AMD as part of ongoing research into improved methods for diagnosis and treatment. One observational study, Peripheral Autofluorescence and Clinical Findings in Neovascular and Non-neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration, has used both UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and UWF color imaging to understand if peripheral FAF abnormality patterns are different in patients with neovascular and non-neovascular AMD.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (75° or less) of the center-portion of the retina.

The SLO simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red – 633 nm and green – …

In a world where there seems to be a commemorative day, week or month to build awareness for causes of every kind, it’s easy to pass over mention of a month to build awareness for women’s eye health and safety.

Not so fast.

The numbers are surprising and sobering. Women suffer from a variety of eye diseases and conditions at rates far higher than men. Of those in the U.S. with:

— Cataracts – which affect more people than any other vision impairment – 61% are women

— Diabetic Retinopathy – a leading cause of blindness in American adults – 51% are women

— Age-related macular degeneration – number four on the list – 65% are women.

—Dry eye – which afflicts nearly 5 million Americans over 50 years of age – more than 60% are women

What’s going on here?

Women are at higher risk for eye disease for a variety of reasons. Part of it has to do with life expectancy. Women outlive men, therefore a larger population of women will be afflicted with age-related eye disease like glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration. But it’s much more than a numbers game.

— Women who are in premature menopause, …

Ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging of vascular abnormalities in the retinal periphery is improving the diagnosis of ocular disease.

While retinal vascular abnormalities are part of the pathology of many ocular diseases, conventional retinal imaging is unable to inform practitioners about the extent to which these vascular abnormalities are present in the retinal periphery. A growing body of research and case studies using UWF imaging is demonstrating that characterization of vascular abnormalities of the retinal periphery can contribute to and improve the diagnostic process.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (60° or less) of the retina.

The devices simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable high-resolution, color imaging of retinal substructures. The resulting UWF digital image – the optomap – is produced in a single capture. Along with UWF color imaging, the technology supports UWF fluorescein angiography (FA), UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and UWF indocyanine green angiography (ICG).

Peripheral Vascular Abnormalities – General …