Published on Thursday, July 07, 2005

RETINAL SCANNER SKIPS PUPIL DILATION

EXAM DETECTS DISEASE, SAVES VIEW FOR COMPARISON

By Hannah Draeger Ross
For The Sun News/"Vitality" Health Magazine

Douglas Anderson of Donfermline, Scotland, knew his 5-year-old son Leif suffered from myopic vision, but routine eye exams with full dilation of the pupils failed to detect a future problem.

After one such examination, Leif suffered a retinal detachment that resulted in blindness in one eye. The devastated father vowed to change the eye exams for the better.

In 1994, Anderson formed a design company named Optos, the Greek word for vision. His new business designed an instrument named the Panoramic 200 retinal scanner, which received Food and Drug Administration approval in 1999.

The idea was to capture a digital image of the entire eye at a 200-degree angle without dilating the pupil.

In science fiction movies a person peers into a lens that digitally identifies the retina and opens the top-secret door. The advent of the retinal scanner opened doors that assist in the early detection of many eye problems and diseases. High blood pressure, glaucoma, macular degeneration, even diabetes, are all easier to view when the back of the eye is visible.

For the Optomap retinal exam, the patient is seated and asked to look into a small aperture. A tiny green dot appears in the center of a red circle. When a full red circle appears, an image has been captured. The entire process takes less than two seconds and can be seen on a computer screen within minutes.

The scanner is expensive, but the patient's test cost is about $30. Similar scanning tests also capture an image, and some utilize a database and are covered by most medical insurance. The Optomap is currently not covered under most plans.

The H. Rubin Vision Center in Myrtle Beach has the only one in this area.

"It is an alternative to dilation that does not have the side effects and gives us a 200-degree view of the eye," said Dr. Fouad Allouch, an optometrist.

"We like having a test that allows us to compare a patient's eyes year to year. The goal of the test is a preventative against future complications, and we still believe that even with this technology a person should have a full comprehensive exam every year."

Darlene Collins of North Myrtle Beach recently had the test.

"This was so easy," she said. "I would highly recommend it, and it only took a few minutes."

Dr. Shawn Riley of Myrtle Beach has spent years treating serious vision problems and performing specialized surgical procedure. He uses a similar laser instrument at times.

"These [retinal scanner] tests have their place and a few have been around for quite a while," he said. "They are helpful with creating a baseline and electronically sending important data. But the person reading the tests is as important as the test itself. They have to be well-trained and able to use this information along with a thorough examination and assessment."

The latest research papers on the Optomap technology were discussed during the 2005 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The new Optomap exam received high marks for sensitivity aspects, and one study said the scan "detected a high prevalence of retinal abnormalities missed by tests [requiring dilation] known as traditional exam techniques."

But the same report concluded, "Both tests occasionally missed different types of information. Their conclusion was that the combination of the two techniques may provide an improved method of retinal examination." Dilation and traditional tests might still be needed to diagnose other problems and the patient might be wise to consider the outcome of a full exam versus a few hours of blurry vision, the report said.

Extra tests for depth perception, color vision and eye pressure tests are still needed to properly diagnose certain diseases. One test does not fit all. Using a traditional ophthalmoscope or perhaps a microscope can be important for proper diagnosis.

But the doctor's own eyes are still an equally important factor in proper diagnosis and treatment.
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On the Net | www.optos.com

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Contact freelance writer HANNAH DRAEGER ROSS
at hannahd@mindspring.com or 450-2690.

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