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As 2019 has come to a close and 2020, also known as “the year of the eye” is upon us, it is important to focus on new habits that promote good health. At Optos, we stand by the idea that eye health, including regular comprehensive eye exams, including optomap, should always be at the top of your list.

Eye health is very commonly left off the list of resolutions made. Many resolutions encompass things such as eating habits, exercise and other surface health conditions, where eye health is often overlooked.

The first step to preserving eye health is scheduling a comprehensive eye exam that can assist in detecting any changes in vision and overall health. A commitment to a yearly eye exam can aid in the strides to prevent illness rather than treat it as it appears. Many adults with no eye-related symptoms will often forgo an annual eye exam, while many ocular diseases are asymptomatic in early stages.  Early detection of these diseases can have a significant impact on courses of treatment and the probability of positive outcomes. Your eyes are windows to the live action of blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues throughout your body. Abnormalities …

Remember Eye Safety this Holiday Season

With the holidays upon us, it’s important to note the extra care we need to take to make sure the toys and gifts our children receive are safe and age-appropriate.  For this reason, Prevent Blindness America has declared December “Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month”.

Look at every toy before you buy it. Is the toy durable? Can it stand the wear and tear of everyday use without breaking, cracking or coming apart? Does it shoot objects or have sharp edges? Toys that fail these tests should be reconsidered.

Tips for gifts your child receives:

Read all warnings and instructions on the box.Ask yourself if the toy is right for your child’s ability and age.Avoid toys with sharp or rigid points, spikes, rods, or dangerous edges.Buy toys that will withstand impact and not break into dangerous shards.Look for the letters “ASTM.” This designation means the product meets the national safety standards set by ASTM International.Avoid toys that shoot or include parts that fly off.

Winterize your Eyes

Aside from the holidays, there are certain winter precautions to take involving eye protection and safety.  Protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV rays is just as important in …

Dr. Rachael Wruble, OD knew that when she went out on her own to practice that she wanted to bring in Optos ultra-widefield (UWF™) imaging for her patients. Wruble was already familiar with the cutting-edge technology and valued that it could capture 82% of the retina in a single, high-resolution image in less than ½ second. She embraces the concept that the eye is a part of a puzzle and is interconnected with the entire body, providing important information on systemic health, therefore proving her need to invest in a technology that supports a truly comprehensive eye exam.

With the use of optomap in her practice, Wruble explains how she sees subtle pathology and other retinal nuances that she had not seen on patients that she had been examining for years. According to Dr. Wruble, while the ease-of-use of optomap may expedite workflow in her practice, the real value of that rescued time lies in enhancing the comprehensive exam and further educating her patients.

Wruble shares a story of a recent patient who came in for a new glasses prescription. The patient complained of blurry vision but refused dilation because she had received a dilated exam 10 months …

As we roll into the holiday season, sharing meals with family and friends is at the top of the list for many.  Thanksgiving meals aren’t typically known for their health benefits, however, a few conscious choices could offer up healthy options that benefit both eye and overall health.  All the holiday greens, yellows, reds, and oranges on your Thanksgiving table contain eye-healthy ingredients galore.  This is excellent news for those of us who always end up with eyes bigger than our stomachs this time of the year! We are here to celebrate and share with you some of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes and how they correspond in benefiting your eye health.

Dishes containing food such as carrots, sweet potatoes, cherries, apricots, kale or pumpkin are all rich in the nutrient beta-carotene.  Beta-carotene is converted to retinol that is essential for vision.  It is a carotenoid and antioxidant that promotes night vision and overall good eyesight.  Most are familiar with this nutrient in carrots, but in the event you aren’t a carrot lover, there try one of the other options to get your fix.

Spinach, green bean casserole, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts along with other leafy greens are …

Each year, November 14th is recognized as World Diabetes Day. IDF and the World Health Organization created World Diabetes Day in 2011 in response to escalating health issues surrounding diabetes and diabetic eye diseases.

Diabetic eye disease describes a group of eye conditions that include diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma, diabetic macular edema and cataracts. DR is often reported as the most common form of diabetic eye disease. It is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), afflicting one third of all people with the disease, and it is the leading cause of blindness among the working population in the world. Over 40% of patients diagnosed with diabetes eventually develop some level of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Regular vision care is an important part of diabetes management.. DR affects the tiny blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eyes. In the less severe form of DR, blood vessels swell and leak small amounts of blood and fluid into the eye. Vision may be unaffected, giving no clue to the presence of disease. Untreated, this mild form of DR can progress leading to macular ischemia, in which capillaries in the macula close and cause blurred vision. More …

The spooooookiest day of the year is upon us!  Halloween is a holiday built for all ages but, particularly children.  While enjoying a holiday encompassed with costumes, trick-or-treating and parties, it is important to also remember eye safety.  Every year there are hundreds of costume-related and other completely avoidable eye injuries are treated in emergency rooms throughout the United States.

The AAO (American Academy of Ophthalmology) has named October Halloween Safety Month, aiming to increase safety precautions surrounding fall activities and Halloween trick or treating. There are several simple steps everyone can take that will help keep Halloween safe, fun and still spooky for all.

The best place to start is with Halloween costume safety. Avoid costume features that either fully or partially block the vision such as masks, eye patches, wigs, floppy hats, or droopy headpieces. Also try to avoid sharp or pointed costume props such as wands, swords and sticks that may harm other children’s eyes. Finally, avoid costumes that are excessive in length and drag on the ground in order to prevent tripping and falling.

Additional Halloween Safety Tips to follow:

Trick-or-treat during the day to ensure proper lighting and to ensure better navigation …

12 October 2019

Optos plc, the leading medical retinal imaging company, part of Nikon Corporation, is pleased to announce the launch of Silverstone at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, San Francisco, CA.

Silverstone is the first of its kind, combining world-leading ultra-widefield retinal imaging with integrated, image-guided, swept source OCT.  Silverstone produces a 200° single capture optomap^® image with guided OCT allowing advanced OCT imaging anywhere across the retina, from posterior pole to far periphery.  This provides unparalleled UWF guided multimodal imaging in support of detection, investigation and monitoring of retinal disease.

Silverstone provides greater imaging functionality and expands the Company’s product portfolio for ophthalmic markets.  It combines colour, autofluorescence (AF), fluorescein (FA) and Indocyanine Green (ICG) angiography with Swept Source OCT imaging capabilities.  A comprehensive exam that includes an ultra-widefield optomap^® image has been shown in clinical studies to enhance pathology detection and disease management, as well as to improve clinic flow.  Now by integrating swept source OCT, Silverstone further facilitates examination of the retina from vitreous through the choroidal-scleral interface and helps guide treatment decisions.

David M. Brown, MD from Retina Consultants of Houston in Houston, TX, remarked, “Silverstone is very exciting.  It’s definitely the …

World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October each year.  WSD aims to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.  The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) members work together to raise public awareness of blindness and vision impairment, influence governments to participate and designate funds for national blindness prevention funds, and to educate target audiences about blindness prevention.  World Sight Day 2019 takes place on October 10^th. This year’s theme and call to action is “Vision First!”.  

Of all the people suffering from blindness or poor vision, more than a billion people suffer because they do not have access to proper eye care.  This year’s mission urges everyone to find solutions to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to proper eye care.

Continued studies conducted by the IAPB have concluded that 80% of eyes can be saved from blindness, given the proper comprehensive care and diagnosis. Additional facts from these studies include

285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision.About 90% of the world’s visually impaired live in low-income settings.80% of all visual …

As the leaders in ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology, Optos would like to invite you to join us at the International Vision Expo West (VEW) September 18-21 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Explore what’s new at Optos by pre-scheduling your demonstration or stop by booth #MS6051 during the event.

This year Optos is a sponsor of the “Battle at the Sands: Imaging Track” competition where industry leaders, such as Dr. Mo Rafieetary, will present complex patient studies where imaging played a key role in diagnosis and treatment (and compete for bragging rights). After the winner is crowned, please join us at the workshop Wednesday, September 18^th from 5-7pm in room 505 at the Sands Convention Center. Seats are limited.

Optos will also be participating in the OCT workshop, and demonstrating the functionality of our MonacoPro device — the only clinically-validated, 200-degree UWF retinal imaging device with integrated OCT.  MonacoPro produces a 200-degree, single-capture optomap image in less than ½ second and also provides cross-sectional, 40-degree OCT views of retinal structures. Join us Thursday the 19^th from 12:30-2:30pm and Friday the 20th from 12:15-2:15 in room 505 to explore the benefits of Optos UWF and OCT. 

Ultra-widefield with …

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, affecting most commonly, people over the age of 60 with increasing chances as you age, if you are overweight or if you have a family history of AMD.    

As we approach our golden years, we are at a higher risk for particular eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, as well as eye conditions such as dry eye and low vision.  More than 40 million Americans are currently 65 years or older, this number is expected to grow to more than 88 million by 2050 and not coincidentally, the number of Americans with age-related eye diseases is expected to double.  Early detection and treatment are key to saving sight.

For some, AMD advances so slowly that vision loss does not occur for a long time. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both eyes. The loss of central vision in AMD can interfere with simple everyday activities, such as the ability to see faces, drive, read, write, or do close work, such as cooking or fixing things around the house.

As …