DRY EYE DISEASE TREATMENTS COME TO THE FORE AT 100%

Guidance on setting up, or enhancing, a Dry Eye disease clinic within the practice will be freely available from OSA members exhibiting at 100% Optical:  1-3 March.

The ability to diagnose and treat a major irritation for many is winning new patients for the practices which are investing resources, training and time in addressing the issue. Believed to be a significant cause of contact lens drop out, the under-diagnosis of this problem is set to be radically reduced if the OSA members exhibiting are heard, says the supplier organisation.

BiB will be promoting Thermaeye Plus IPL, a compact device which BiB Managing Director, Tim Baker believes is one of the best ways to expand clinical offering –

“We’ve seen how practices have increased revenue by charging for OCT scans, and Dry Eye treatments are following this pattern. Many practices are moving away from supporting GOS and are charging for elements of the eye examination, and for enhanced ophthalmic services. Dry Eye care is part of that arsenal of services that improve patient outcomes and add positive figures to the practice’s bottom line.”

Thermaeye Plus is a non-cartridge device which comes equipped with 60,000 shots included in the initial investment, equating to 2000 complete treatments, says BiB.

Mainline Instruments will demonstrate the Oculus Keratograph 5M, a topographer with Dry Eye software (JENVIS Pro Dry Eye) that provides detailed screening to aid diagnosis. It has features to evaluate the lipid layer, examine meibomian glands, non-invasive tear film break-up time, plus the tear meniscus height measurement.

EssilorLuxottica will have a range of equipment as Paul Cumber, Instruments Director, EssilorLuxottica, said:

“The return on investment for Dry Eye treatment is very quick and we support practices in pricing the service, with training, plus marketing support to promote, and drive, awareness.” 

EssilorLuxottica’s portfolio of products includes the IDRA by SBM Sistemi to capture tear film instability data, and to provide metrics that are easy for the patient to see. An accompanying smart phone app enables home monitoring of symptoms.  Also, on the stand will be the TearStim IRPL device, designed “to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system supplying meibomian glands, increase gland secretion, contribute to restoring their normal activity, improving secretion and stabilising the lipid layer”.

The Activa Home Eye Mask generates heat of approximately 42 degrees for 15 minutes while applying a micro-vibration massage to aid meibomian gland expression.

Topcon will have a comprehensive range of tools, including the MYAH system for diagnosis and monitoring with assessments including – 

  • Non-invasive Tear Break-up Time (NIBUT) 
  • Meibomian gland imaging with area-of-loss analysis 
  • Tear meniscus height measurement
  • Blink analysis 
  • Real fluorescein imaging and video acquisition 

Additionally, hyperosmolarity, identified by TFOS DEWS II as a critical factor in dry eye disease, can now be precisely measured using the ScoutPro system, say Topcon. This offers quick, in-clinic osmolarity testing through a card design that facilitates tear collection even from patients with low tear volume. This ensures accurate diagnosis and helps tailor treatments, say Topcon.

Treatment options include the Eye-light® system and MGD masks, which utilise IPL and photo-biomodulation technologies to –

  • Stimulate meibomian glands 
  • Improve tear lipid quality
  • Reduce tear evaporation 
  • Decrease bacterial load using shortwave blue masks 

The Eye-light® system is also effective for treating conditions such as styes and chalazion.

Hanson Instruments will be promoting the CSO Antares+ topographer for advanced corneal and ocular surface analysis. It features a lipid layer analysis diffuser, a blue light and yellow filter for fluorescein analysis, and white LEDs for superior ocular surface imaging.

Key features include meibomian gland analysis and tear film assessment. It also allows for tear meniscus measurement and high-resolution fluorescein imaging, improving detection and management of Dry Eye disease. Built on the Phoenix software platform, Antares+ ensures seamless data integration, with an online remote service.

The new CSO SL99K Elite Digital LED Slit Lamp is designed to enhance clinical imaging and has a 5MP digital camera to captures high-resolution images and videos.  Meibography capabilities are valued for dry eye and ocular surface assessments.

“With video capture at 35 FPS, the SL99K Elite ensures smooth, high-quality recordings for dynamic assessments. Multiple grading tools assist in diagnosis, improving clinical workflow and patient care. DICOM compliant, this ensuring easy integration with digital patient records,” say Hanson Instruments.

Performance Finance confirm that Dry Eye clinics can make a profit for any practice, particularly as the prevalence has increased with greater screen time and aging probably contributing to the rise. Investment can boost profits with new patient acquisition, enhanced care and revenue diversification.

A typical return on investment model for a Dry Eye clinic could be:

Investment value: £28,360
Charge per course of treatment: £400
Monthly profit: £1,1148
Annual Profit: £13,779

Choosing to finance equipment, and spreading the investment cost, is also beneficial for the practice in terms of VAT saving and tax relief, believes Performance Finance.

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