“Speed and patient comfort benefits prevail”

Geplaatst op 15-01-2015

One eye specialist already using the system is Michael Bärtschi, M.Sc., M.med.Educ., FAAO, who has his own practice, Kontaktlinsenstudio Bärtschi, in Bern, Switzerland, and is also a Research Fellow at Basel University’s Department of Ophthalmology. Bärtschi, says he never bought a fundus camera because he could never find one he was entirely satisfied with.

Of those, only one could not be imaged successfully with EasyScan (the left eye had some shadowing in the periphery): “Optometrists here are not allowed to use any therapeutic or diagnostic drugs to dilate the pupil, so the zero-dilation offers a major benefit to me,” Bärtschi notes. As well as eliminating the need to dilate in all cases, Bärtschi says his experience of using EasyScan has revealed a number of other speed and patient-comfort advantages. One he points to is the lower intensity flash found in EasyScan. “With a fundus camera, the flash is so intense that you have to wait several minutes for the pupil to open up again for the next image. With EasyScan, it takes only 20 seconds for the pupil to return to its normal size. Another benefit, Bärtschi says, is the use of green and red lasers, because these provide a more detailed, more contrast-rich image. “The wonderful thing with this camera is that it shows much more than an ordinary fundus image. I can see extremely small vessels or irregularities on the retina, screen the optic nerve head on different levels and differentiate better between blood dots and pigment spots. The precision of the image is excellent – I am very satisfied with the image quality – and the patients appreciate it too, which is very good for client loyalty.

“EasyScan,” he continues, “is improving the quality of screening. It helps me to differentiate better between something that is normal or suspicious and means I can help my ophthalmologist make the diagnosis. It makes me much more of a partner to the ophthalmologist, and means they have more time to focus on their specialisms. When you can see more and identify more you can offer a higher quality service and be more sure that you are not missing something.”

“My patients love EasyScan”

Geplaatst op 15-01-2015

Steven Squillace O.D., heads Somers Vision Clinic, Somers, Connecticut and is on staff at Johnson Memorial Medical Center, Stafford Spring, Connecticut, USA. Dr. Steven Squillace is one of the first doctors in the US to use the system, having come across it at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Boston, October 2011. “I had an old fundus camera that needed to be replaced” said Dr. Squillace who is on staff at Johnson Memorial Medical Center and trained at Joslin Diabetes Center whilst attending the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

“I’ve worked with SLO technology for retinal evaluation over 10 years ago as part of a group practice. We saw the benefit of undilated fundus images, but also the drawback: ergonomics and economics. Patients needed to tilt their head to acquire an image, and costs for both the doctor and patient would be an issue in my current solo practice,” he said. “When I heard there was a smaller version being launched, I thought it could be what I needed. Unfortunately it wasn’t, because the price meant it wouldn’t have worked out for my practice. Walking around the AAOPT meeting, I spotted i-Optics. I’d never heard of them but they had an SLO device that looked about the size of the HRT machine in my office. They were expecting to get FDA approval soon and I told them to get back to me when they had it. A few weeks later they called and said they had it!”

“EasyScan is wonderful. It’s better than a fundus camera — I can’t think of an application for which a fundus is better except, maybe, for making hard copy print. It gives us a great view of the internal retina via a 532 nm green laser and choroid via a 780 nm infrared laser. This allows for early detection of maculopathies not typically seen by dilated fundus exam, and thus proper nutritional counseling and referral to an ophthalmologist if indicated. The ability to scan into a 2 mm pupil even if a patient has mild cataracts is an advantage over white light cameras. The instrument also images central vitreous floaters so that patients can see their anomaly by the vitreous movie feature. I’ve had three patients in which I saw changes in the macula that I would not have seen with a fundus camera, even if I had dilated the pupils. I take two pictures, one of each side, and that gives me a 60 to 65-degree view, allowing me to analyse the major eye structures.”

Dr. Squillace says his experience confirms that EasyScan eliminates the need to dilate but that his protocol remains to dilate on a first visit: “I want to be sure I’m getting the outer reaches of the retina.” He also dilates trauma patients, but “I use EasyScan to document the central retina.” For routine check-ups, however, he now uses it exclusively unless a patient asks to be dilated, which rarely happens. “Patients love EasyScan because it makes scheduling much easier,” Dr. Squillace explained. “They can schedule much closer to the examination time because we don’t need to apply drops and so there is no waiting. Patients can insert contacts, if worn, and go back to work or school and see!”

“There is a lot of competition around me, I needed something to help market my practice.”

Geplaatst op 15-01-2015

Dr. Edgar Perez owns Family Eye Care Center in the suburbs of Chicago, IL.  He splits his time between two offices, one in Elk Grove Village and one in Des Plaines. He is a long standing member of the Illinois Optometric Association and is the current society president of the North Suburban Optometric Society.  Dr. Perez is also a recent Vision Source member.

“EasyScan might even transform the role of the optometrist”

Geplaatst op 06-01-2015

Two innovative optometrists in central Finland recently started to offer a new service to their patients: a zero-dilation retina check- up with the new and innovative EasyScan. Download the full testimonial.

“There is a lot of competition around me, I needed something to help market my practice.”

Geplaatst op 06-01-2015

Dr. Edgar Perez owns Family Eye Care Center in the suburbs of Chicago, IL.  He splits his time between two offices, one in Elk Grove Village and one in Des Plaines. He is a long standing member of the Illinois Optometric Association and is the current society president of the North Suburban Optometric Society.  Dr. Perez is also a recent Vision Source member.

“My patients love EasyScan”

Geplaatst op 15-12-2014

Steven Squillace O.D., heads Somers Vision Clinic, Somers, Connecticut and is on staff at Johnson Memorial Medical Center, Stafford Spring, Connecticut, USA. Dr. Steven Squillace is one of the first doctors in the US to use the system, having come across it at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Boston, October 2011. “I had an old fundus camera that needed to be replaced” said Dr. Squillace who is on staff at Johnson Memorial Medical Center and trained at Joslin Diabetes Center whilst attending the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

“I’ve worked with SLO technology for retinal evaluation over 10 years ago as part of a group practice. We saw the benefit of undilated fundus images, but also the drawback: ergonomics and economics. Patients needed to tilt their head to acquire an image, and costs for both the doctor and patient would be an issue in my current solo practice,” he said. “When I heard there was a smaller version being launched, I thought it could be what I needed. Unfortunately it wasn’t, because the price meant it wouldn’t have worked out for my practice. Walking around the AAOPT meeting, I spotted i-Optics. I’d never heard of them but they had an SLO device that looked about the size of the HRT machine in my office. They were expecting to get FDA approval soon and I told them to get back to me when they had it. A few weeks later they called and said they had it!”

“EasyScan is wonderful. It’s better than a fundus camera — I can’t think of an application for which a fundus is better except, maybe, for making hard copy print. It gives us a great view of the internal retina via a 532 nm green laser and choroid via a 780 nm infrared laser. This allows for early detection of maculopathies not typically seen by dilated fundus exam, and thus proper nutritional counseling and referral to an ophthalmologist if indicated. The ability to scan into a 2 mm pupil even if a patient has mild cataracts is an advantage over white light cameras. The instrument also images central vitreous floaters so that patients can see their anomaly by the vitreous movie feature. I’ve had three patients in which I saw changes in the macula that I would not have seen with a fundus camera, even if I had dilated the pupils. I take two pictures, one of each side, and that gives me a 60 to 65-degree view, allowing me to analyse the major eye structures.”

Dr. Squillace says his experience confirms that EasyScan eliminates the need to dilate but that his protocol remains to dilate on a first visit: “I want to be sure I’m getting the outer reaches of the retina.” He also dilates trauma patients, but “I use EasyScan to document the central retina.” For routine check-ups, however, he now uses it exclusively unless a patient asks to be dilated, which rarely happens. “Patients love EasyScan because it makes scheduling much easier,” Dr. Squillace explained. “They can schedule much closer to the examination time because we don’t need to apply drops and so there is no waiting. Patients can insert contacts, if worn, and go back to work or school and see!”

“Speed and patient comfort benefits prevail”

Geplaatst op 15-12-2014

Michael Bärtschi, M.Sc., M.med.Educ who has his own practice, Kontaktlinsenstudio Bärtschi, in Bern, Switzerland, and is also a Research Fellow at Basel University’s Department of Ophthalmology. One eye specialist already using the system is Michael Bärtschi, M.Sc., M.med.Educ., FAAO, who has his own practice, Kontaktlinsenstudio Bärtschi, in Bern, Switzerland, and is also a Research Fellow at Basel University’s Department of Ophthalmology. Bärtschi, says he never bought a fundus camera because he could never find one he was entirely satisfied with.

Of those, only one could not be imaged successfully with EasyScan (the left eye had some shadowing in the periphery): “Optometrists here are not allowed to use any therapeutic or diagnostic drugs to dilate the pupil, so the zero-dilation offers a major benefit to me,” Bärtschi notes. As well as eliminating the need to dilate in all cases, Bärtschi says his experience of using EasyScan has revealed a number of other speed and patient-comfort advantages. One he points to is the lower intensity flash found in EasyScan. “With a fundus camera, the flash is so intense that you have to wait several minutes for the pupil to open up again for the next image. With EasyScan, it takes only 20 seconds for the pupil to return to its normal size. Another benefit, Bärtschi says, is the use of green and red lasers, because these provide a more detailed, more contrast-rich image. “The wonderful thing with this camera is that it shows much more than an ordinary fundus image. I can see extremely small vessels or irregularities on the retina, screen the optic nerve head on different levels and differentiate better between blood dots and pigment spots. The precision of the image is excellent – I am very satisfied with the image quality – and the patients appreciate it too, which is very good for client loyalty.

“EasyScan,” he continues, “is improving the quality of screening. It helps me to differentiate better between something that is normal or suspicious and means I can help my ophthalmologist make the diagnosis. It makes me much more of a partner to the ophthalmologist, and means they have more time to focus on their specialisms. When you can see more and identify more you can offer a higher quality service and be more sure that you are not missing something.”

“I look forward to helping other patients with early diagnosis in the future”.

Geplaatst op 05-12-2014

Stewart Galeucia has been a private practice Optometrist for 27 years and now works at Walmart Vision Center in Groton, Connecticut. After doing some research, Galeucia came to the conclusion that he needed an imaging device for not only for his patients benefit but also for routine “eye health” screening that would inform him about a patient before he saw them and furthermore give him the chance to talk to them about ocular health.

“We can, in principle, work anywhere.” – Thijs Veerman, CEO Star MDC.

Geplaatst op 04-12-2014