Ellex to Unveil Breakthrough Tango Reflex Laser System at AAO 2016
Adelaide, Australia, 6 October 2016 – Ellex Medical will showcase its newest breakthrough laser technology at this year’s American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting in Chicago, Illinois, 15-18 October 2016. The new Tango Reflex™ combines Ellex’s proprietary Reflex Technology™ for posterior and anterior YAG laser procedures with the industry’s leading selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) technology to deliver an all-in-one ophthalmic treatment solution.
As a single device that offers multiple treatment platforms, including SLT for glaucoma, laser vitreolysis for floaters, capsulotomy and iridotomy, the Tango Reflex™ provides a compact solution for practices looking to maximize the variety of treatments available to their patients without sacrificing space. The Tango Reflex™ allows users to instantly switch between different treatment modes at the touch of a button and utilizes an easy-to-use touchscreen interface for quick adjustment of all treatment parameters.
Since gaining FDA approval in 2001, SLT has steadily become the therapy of choice for glaucoma. It is suitable for use as a first-line treatment and as an adjunct therapy with glaucoma medication or following failed pharmacologic or surgical intervention.
As a pioneer of laser technologies, Ellex was one of the first companies to manufacture SLT lasers, introducing its industry-leading Tango™ (a combination SLT and YAG laser) in 2005.
Ellex has also led the way in laser floater removal (LFR), launching its Ultra Q Reflex™ multi-modality YAG laser in 2012. The device addresses potential safety and accuracy issues by incorporating titratable axis illumination and coaxial visualization technology (Reflex Technology™) into its laser system via a unique slit lamp illumination tower design. The innovative design converges the operator’s vision, the target illumination and the treatment beam onto the same optical path, and focuses them onto the same optical plane – offering optimized visualization and illumination of the vitreous. As such, symptomatic floater patients today are able to receive safer and more effective treatment than ever before.
By combining these two flagship products – the Tango™ SLT/YAG combination laser and the Ultra Q Reflex™ multi-modality YAG laser – the new Tango Reflex™ offers a full spectrum of treatment solutions for ophthalmic patients.
Meet the Expert at AAO 2016
As part of the Tango Reflex™ launch, Ellex will be providing AAO attendees with the opportunity to meet with leading SLT and LFR experts and learn more about the device and its clinical applications throughout the congress.
Dr. Savak “Sev” Teymoorian, MD, MBA (Harvard Eye Associates, California) has achieved great success with SLT in treatment-naïve patients, and among patients who have undergone trabeculectomy or tube shunt surgery. He will be available for interview at the Ellex AAO exhibition booth #2731 on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 – 11:00am.
Laser floater removal expert (LFR) Dr. Paul Singh, MD (The Eye Centers of Racine and Kenosha) has carried out more than 1000 LFR procedures and he will also be on hand at the Ellex booth #2731 to discuss his practical tips for LFR on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 12:00 – 1:00pm. Dr. Sing will also share a series of live patient testimonials.
To make an appointment with either expert, please email: [email protected]
ABOUT ELLEX
Ellex designs, develops, manufactures and sells innovative products that help eye surgeons around the world to effectively and efficiently treat eye disease. Ellex is a world leader in this field. Headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, Ellex has ophthalmic lasers and devices that treat glaucoma, retinal disease primarily caused by diabetes, secondary cataract and vitreous opacities, as well as age-related macular degeneration. Manufacturing is carried out in Adelaide, Australia and Fremont, California. Sales and service directly to eye surgeons is conducted via subsidiary offices in Minneapolis, Lyon, Berlin and Tokyo. A network of more than 50 distribution partners around the world services other markets. For additional information about Ellex and its products, please visit www.ellex.com.
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Industry Leaders Create Dispensing Pavilion
October 6, 2016, Hauppauge, NY – Four industry leading companies have joined forces to create a first-of-its-kind Dispensing Pavilion for the AAO Annual Meeting, October 15- 18 in Chicago. Fashion Optical Displays, FastGrind International, Santinelli International and ClearVision Optical have come together to create the Dispensing Pavilion, booth #744, which will be a one-stop shop for education and implementation of a complete lab and dispensary.
The Dispensing Pavilion will offer a comprehensive look at everything from displays and frames, to lens surfacing and edging. All that is needed to build a profitable dispensary will be conveniently in one booth for the first time at an industry trade show. The booth will be operational and set up like an actual optical practice in a scaled to size space. Show attendees can meet with industry experts from each company as they travel through from the dispensing room back into the optical lab, gathering information and tips along the way.
Attendees interested in learning about setting up a profitable dispensary and lab are encouraged to stop by the Dispensing Pavilion.
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SPECTRALIS® OCT Angiography Module to be presented at AAO
Heidelberg Engineering is showcasing the OCT Angiography (OCTA) Module for its SPECTRALIS® diagnostic imaging platform at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in Chicago. The OCT Angiography Module noninvasively produces detailed three-dimensional representations of the perfused retinal and choroidal vasculatures.
Heidelberg, Germany – The SPECTRALIS® expandable diagnostic imaging platform can be upgraded with the OCT Angiography Module to perform non-invasive, layer-by-layer examinations of flow in the vascular networks of the retina and choroid. Combined with structural OCT and fluorescence angiography, the OCT Angiography Module enables a more comprehensive understanding of vascular abnormalities.
The OCT Angiography Module can be added to new and existing upgradeable SPECTRALIS devices with the OCT2 Module. The multimodal imaging platform allows clinicians to compare OCT angiographies to other modalities such as structural OCT and dye-based angiographies as well as infrared, MultiColor and BluePeak images, dependent on the SPECTRALIS model.
High resolution for precise vascular details
SPECTRALIS offers high resolution OCT angiography with a lateral 6 microns per pixel for visualization of capillaries. An axial resolution of 3.9 microns per pixel enables precise multilayer segmentation. All four vascular plexuses of the retina as described by Tan et al.1 (located in the nerve fiber layer, in the ganglion cell layer, at the border of the inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer, and at the border of the inner nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer) can be investigated. Like all SPECTRALIS diagnostic imaging modalities, the OCT Angiography Module benefits from the precision of TruTrack Active Eye Tracking which avoids motion artifacts and ensures high resolution images.
Hybrid angiography
The SPECTRALIS platform offers a unique combination of non-invasive OCT angiography with dye-based, gold-standard fluorescein (FA) or indocyanine green (ICGA) scanning laser angiography. With this hybrid angiography approach, OCTA images can be directly correlated 200179-001 GL.AE 16 pixel to pixel to FA or ICGA, setting a baseline for subsequent OCTA-only follow-up examinations. The Scan Planning Tool automates OCTA scan placement on a region of interest identified on FA/ICGA or any other previously-acquired cSLO image. Such reference images can originate from the same or another SPECTRALIS device. With the convergence of established and emerging imaging techniques, the SPECTRALIS platform supports the understanding and adoption of new diagnostic tools such as OCTA in routine clinical practice.
“There is a great deal of interest in OCTA and at the same time uncertainty due to its technical limitations and interpretation challenges. We see multimodal imaging as a good approach to deal with those issues. For instance, OCTA is as a valuable imaging modality to follow up on an existing FA, and our SPECTRALIS platform offers the possibility to do exactly that,” said Dr. Kester Nahen, Managing Director of Heidelberg Engineering.
OCTA technology and SPECTRALIS
The OCTA module of the SPECTRALIS uses a complex mathematical model fed by full spectrum OCT data. The full spectrum approach enables three-dimensional OCTA imaging with high axial resolution separating thin vascular plexuses. The mathematical model is highly sensitive and allows the visualization of small changes between consecutive OCT scans representative of vascular flow. This method results in high contrast between areas of vascular flow and surrounding tissue.
The SPECTRALIS is an ophthalmic imaging platform with an upgradable, modular design. This platform allows clinicians to configure each SPECTRALIS to the specific diagnostic workflow in the practice or clinic. Options include: OCT, multiple scanning laser fundus imaging modalities, widefield and ultra-widefield modules, scanning laser angiography and OCT angiography.
Availability
The OCT Angiography Module is not for sale in the United States. Heidelberg Engineering will deliver the OCTA Module to customers outside the U.S. in November 2016.
About Heidelberg Engineering:
Heidelberg Engineering is a high-tech imaging solutions company which designs, manufactures, and distributes diagnostic instruments for eye care professionals. The company’s products are used around the world by ophthalmologists and optometrists to scan patients’ eyes for signs of disease and to assist in the management of patients found to have disease. Early recognition of disease helps to delay and prevent the most common causes of blindness. Typical diseases which can be recognized and tracked with Heidelberg Engineering’s technology include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and macular edema. The company’s core technologies include confocal microscopy, scanning lasers and optics, optical coherence tomography, software image analysis and IT solutions for image management. Heidelberg Engineering is a privately held company, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. The company distributes its products through a network of wholly owned subsidiaries and distribution partners in most countries of the world. www.HeidelbergEngineering.com
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CheckedUp Highlights Advances in its Patient Engagement Platform at
The American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting
-- Innovative features, modules and partnerships enhance patient experience and practice success –
-- Hands-on demonstrations and user presentations offered at AAO Booth # 162 –
New York – October 13, 2016 – CheckedUp, the digital patient engagement company, today announced that it will unveil new features, enhancements and partnerships for its interactive platform during the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2016 Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, October 15-18. These advances will be the subject of demonstrations and user presentations given at the CheckedUp exhibit booth (#162).
“We continue to innovate the CheckedUp platform to make it an even more seamless and essential component of the way doctors educate and interact with their patients,” said Richard Awdeh, M.D., CEO and Founder of CheckedUp. “Consistent with our overall vision for CheckedUp, the new features we are introducing, and the capabilities under development, are designed to contribute to increased practice efficiency, while significantly enhancing the patient experience, in ways that each practice can customize.”
New Features and Content
To enhance the depth of in-clinic consultations, CheckedUp is leveraging its touch technology to allow doctors to mark-up and annotate anatomically correct, three-dimensional images of eyes and other diagrams that help explain disease states and available treatment options. These customized images are captured in real time and sent directly to the patient, allowing them to access the full content of their in-clinic conversation at home and at their convenience through the CheckedUp platform. In addition, more advanced controls are being added to help patients better understand their prospective visual outcomes with different technologies and IOL choices.
CheckedUp is also introducing a new Dry Eye content module, with several variations including “Cataract Surgery and Dry Eye” and “Dry Eye and Contact Lenses.” These modules were created specifically to help practices address the information and symptom management needs of their dry eye patients, while helping them to achieve their best visual outcomes.
One of the most recent developments from the CheckedUp team is the ability to embed and share the platform on a practice or physician’s website. This will allow for a more customized patient experience, trackable website clicks and prequalified patient information.
EMR Integration
CheckedUp now offers the ability to automatically prescribe patient access to customized educational programs directly from the practice’s EMR/PMS. Additionally, digital documentation of patient education and choices can now be directly imported into the EMR.
Benefits Management Integration
CheckedUp will also be showcasing the integration of a claims management tool into the platform. This digital solution helps streamline eligibility determinations and claim-filing for out-of-network benefits. It will allow patients to understand what services their plan covers, while they learn about their condition and treatment options. This feature will be available directly to patients on each practice’s website and via CheckedUp in-clinic integrations.
Augmented Reality Patient Counselor
The company announced that it will offer private beta demonstrations of its augmented reality patient counselor program. This technology will be showcased by appointment only.
Speaker Schedule – AAO Booth #162
Several leading cataract surgeons will describe their experience with implementing the CheckedUp platform in their practices.
Jonathan Solomon, M.D. - Talk: Becoming a premium practice
Saturday, October 15 - 12:00pm
Jodi Luchs, M.D. - Fireside Chat: Growing your practice with digital patient engagement
Saturday, October 15 - 2:00pm
Cynthia Matossian, M.D. - Coffee Talk: Increasing premium adoption
Saturday, October 15 - 2:30pm
Jai Parekh, M.D. – Conversation: Leveraging technology to build a dry eye practice
Sunday, October 16 - 12:00pm
Jennifer Loh, M.D. - Workshop: Using technology to improve practice performance
Sunday, October 16 - 1:00pm
Parag Majmudar, M.D. - Conversation: Digital engagement & Practice economics
Sunday, October 16 - 2:00pm
Audrey Talley-Rostov M.D. - Fireside Chat: Implementing digital strategies to grow premium adoption in a multi-physician practice
Monday, October 17 - 11:00am
Visit www.checkedup.com/aao2016 for an up-to-date schedule.
About CheckedUp
CheckedUp is the practice-customized interactive patient engagement platform that provides disease and procedural education, describes practice offerings, and records treatment preferences – before, during, and after the office visit – via smartphone, computer, tablet, or in-office kiosk. CheckedUp is the patient journey enhanced – in the clinic and at home. CheckedUp is available to eye care practitioners by subscription. More information is available at www.checkedup.com
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Beaver Visitec Endo Optiks specializes in microendoscopy - incorporating video imaging, wide field illumination and laser.
Endoscopic photocoagulation (ECP) is a surgical approach to glaucoma management that employs light, endoscopy, and visualized laser application. High-res video imaging is delivered through a microendoscope. The result is a selective ablation of pigmented, ciliary epithelium tissue, with minimal impact to non-targeted tissue. ECP is a safe and effective approach to lowering IOP and reducing medications long-term and is most commonly performed at the time of cataract surgery.
§ All forms of glaucoma, including open angle, chronic angle-closure, and refractory glaucoma can be treated with ECP. § While several surgical glaucoma therapies attempt to lower IOP by improving outflow, ECP is the only approach that reduces inflow. ECP has the advantage of being able to be effectively combined with outflow surgical procedures.
§ ECP can be used at any stage of glaucoma, from early stage patients to reduce the number of medications required to control IOP to patients with refractory glaucoma.
§ ECP Plus is an excellent option for the treatment of patients with late-stage glaucoma and those in whom other surgeries have consistently failed but who need a lower IOP. ECP Plus allows for more complete treatment of the ciliary processes and includes treatment of the pars plana.
Ophthalmic endoscopy is useful in many other circumstances in addition to treating glaucoma. It provides exceptional views of the anterior and posterior chambers as well as the anterior retina. Surgeons find the endoscope extremely valuable in pediatric cases, including endoscopic guided goniotomy; ocular trauma; endophthalmitis and other anterior segment pathology such as dense opacities; goniopuncture or trabeculotomy in adult open angle glaucoma; Uveitis Glaucoma Hyphema Syndrome (UGH Syndrome); hypotony evaluation and treatment; verification of IOL placement and secondary IOL placement at the time of cataract surgery.
In-Booth Clinical Wet Lab
Saturday – Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm every hour
Tues. 9-12:00
Booth 2515
Ophthalmic Endoscopy for the Vitreoretinal Surgeon –Course
Friday, October 14 – 6:00 pm
ECP Surgical Course
Saturday, October 15 – 5:30 pm
Course location: Chicago Hilton, 720 S. Michigan Avenue, Room Williford A