Identifying Eye Issues With a Retinal Camera

Optometrist Rachel Wu says this high-tech tool can help identify eye-health problems beyond poor vision.

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Your eye is kind of like a camera&#;remember the old ones, with film? When light enters your eye, it makes its way to the back, where it hits your retina, takes a picture, and sends it to your brain. 

That&#;s how you see. The book you&#;re reading, the bright-red sweater that catches your eye, the show you&#;re binge-watching on TV: all brought to you by your retina.  

So when your retina&#;s not working up to par, lots of things can go wrong. An unhealthy retina can&#;t send clear images to your brain, leading to vision problems and serious eye conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma. And problems in your retina can be clues that something serious is going on in the rest of your body, like heart disease or high blood pressure.  

That&#;s why it&#;s so important to make sure your retina is in top-notch condition. Yearly eye exams with your eye doctor are the first step. And, there's a new, high-tech tool on your side&#;the retinal camera.

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The retinal camera is an update to the ophthalmoscope&#;an instrument that looks like a flashlight and is used to shine a light into the back of your eye during an eye exam. The retinal camera uses infrared light to make a picture of your retina.

Optometrist Rachel Wu, O.D., makes the retinal scan part of every regular checkup at her office in the America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses in Orange, Calif.

&#;It&#;s really important,&#; she says, &#;especially for people who have diabetes or high blood pressure or a family history of cataracts. There might even be something neurological going on in the back of their eye, and the retinal camera can help us detect that.&#;

That camera came in handy when a 17-year-old college student showed up at the store complaining of double vision. &#;She was seeing two professors in the front of the classroom and having difficulty doing her reading for school&#;and the other doctors she visited couldn&#;t seem to diagnose the problem.&#; 

Dr. Wu went right to her retinal camera, snapped a picture, and in 2 minutes, she had the answer: a condition called papilledema.

&#;That&#;s when the optic nerves in the retina are swollen,&#; she explains. &#;The increased pressure could be a sign of something really serious, like a brain tumor.&#; 

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She sent the girl and her parents right to the ER of the local hospital, where an MRI revealed that there was no tumor, but the girl did need intravenous drugs to relieve the pressure caused by the papilledema. Problem solved. 

&#;The retinal camera is a wonderful tool for eye care,&#; Dr. Wu says. &#;It allows us to take a picture and see what&#;s going on in less than 2 minutes, and it helps to diagnose macular degeneration and other retinal problems. It&#;s really important to use for patients who have diabetes. We can even give the patients the image on a USB so they can bring it to their primary-care doctor.&#;

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Think of these snapshots of your eye as one more important piece of your healthy lifestyle routine, she adds.

 

Technology and ophthalmology go hand-in-hand. Whether it's the latest wide-field fundus photography system, OCT technology , or ultrasound, imaging devices have enhanced diagnosing and managing nearly all ophthalmological conditions. While some imaging devices have become commonplace, we aim to highlight devices that may not be as common but could benefit your practice and patient outcomes. In some cases, we argue for a unique application of an imaging modality that you may already have.

Technology and diversity in imaging options in ophthalmology, and in particular retina, only continues to expand. It is estimated that by , the global retinal imaging devices market will exceed six billion dollars.

1) Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography (iOCT)

2-6 This is despite multiple studies showing the ability of iOCT to facilitate superior precision in surgery, superior endpoint visualization and reduction of unnecessary steps.2-6

While OCT has revolutionized eyecare in a clinic setting , the utilization of OCT during surgery (i.e., intraoperative OCT) is still grossly underutilized. Survey data revealed that only approximately 25% of surgeons currently utilize iOCT.This is despite multiple studies showing the ability of iOCT to facilitate superior precision in surgery, superior endpoint visualization and reduction of unnecessary steps.

Additionally, research shows that iOCT informs and changes surgical decision-making in anywhere from 10 to 40% of surgical cases.2-6 Whereas before handheld or portable iOCT devices were problematic and impractical, new microscope-integrated iOCT devices represent a new horizon allowing for seamless, live integration.

2) Remidio FOP NM10 Portable Fundus Camera

Smartphones cannot only benefit your practice but can help alleviate preventable eye disease burden globally. Smartphone-based handheld fundus photo systems such as Remidio&#;s FOP NM10 have become so sophisticated that they can capture retina images through a non-mydriatic eye with a 45-degree field of view. These devices can be used at the slit lamp, providing imaging equivalent to retina desktops in validated studies.

7-10 Having such non-mydriatic cameras in an internal medicine or family medicine practice may revolutionize the future of diabetic retinopathy screening.

Additionally, the FOP NM10 can screen for diabetic retinopathy using an algorithm that takes just 10 seconds, also validated in multiple peer-reviewed journals as an evidence-based and high-quality screening tool.Having such non-mydriatic cameras in an internal medicine or family medicine practice may revolutionize the future of diabetic retinopathy screening.

Remidio FOP NM10 Portable Fundus Camera

3) Widefield Fundus Photography, Remidio Vistaro

While to some, it may be straightforward, not all have adopted widefield fundus photography imaging. The benefits of wider-field images of the fundus are multiple. Further assessment of the periphery allows for more accurate staging of diseases like diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, it allows for superior evaluation of hereditary retinal disorders, choroidal tumors, choroidal dystrophies, and peripheral degenerative patterns, all of which directly lead to more comprehensive and accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and management.

11 Additionally, it gives a field of view that extends to/beyond 60 degrees.Remidio&#;s Vistaro represents one particular widefield fundus camera that is unique in that it is a smartphone-based, handheld imaging device that can provide the equivalent of the traditional seven-field ETDRS image.Additionally, it gives a field of view that extends to/beyond 60 degrees.This image, captured on a ZEISS Clarus 500, demonstrates the widefield view into the outer peripheral areas of the retina. Contributed by Dan Epshtein, OD, FAAO.

4) Maestro2 Automated OCT/Fundus Camera with OCTA

The Maestro2 from Topcon is a fully automatic OCT system that can capture a color fundus image, OCTA, and OCT with a single button, in an undilated eye. Additionally, a follow-up feature scans the exact location with high precision during subsequent visits. This integration allows for superior visualization and tracking of conditions like choroidal neovascularization , diabetic retinopathy, and microaneurysms.

The value of this type of device comes in the potential it has to optimize clinic efficiency and decrease dependency on highly skilled technicians due to ease of use.12 Additionally, the follow-up feature mitigates inter- and intra-photographer variability between follow-up visits.

Maestro2 Automated OCT/Fundus Camera with OCTA

5) Optos Silverstone

13,14 Given the immense, growing burden of diabetes, hypertension, and related morbidities, clinical volumes will continue to rise, giving tremendous value to tools like Silverstone that streamline clinic flow and improve efficiency and safely.15,16Optos Silverstone is the first and only imaging device to offer optomap®-guided swept-source OCT. Single-capture ultra-widefield (optomap) imaging has been associated with both improved clinic flow and improved patient satisfaction.Given the immense, growing burden of diabetes, hypertension, and related morbidities, clinical volumes will continue to rise, giving tremendous value to tools like Silverstone that streamline clinic flow and improve efficiency and safely.

Conclusions

Major trends emerging in the latest imaging modalities and tools are integrating multiple images into a single device that is more compact, higher quality imaging, more portable and handheld devices, increased ability to capture images through the non-mydriatic eye, and increased utilization of artificial intelligence and algorithmic imaging. While some of the latest imaging has peer-reviewed data to back its use, other tools are yet to be validated. However, even in cases where validation remains to be strengthened, combination image modalities that are more portable, faster, or algorithm-based represent opportunities for increased efficiency.

References:

1. Retinal Imaging Devices Market Size USD 6.3 Bn by (kbvresearch.com)
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