June
3, 2003
MEDIA RELEASE -
TORONTO – A new scanning laser camera that can detect
diseases of the eye that may otherwise be overlooked has just
arrived in Canada.
This
scanning laser ophthalmoscope developed by Optos – the
first of its kind in Toronto – can screen for diseases
of the eye, such as diabetic problems, age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), retinal detachment and hypertension. It
gives a panoramic view of the back of the eye and provides
a full image on a computer screen with one click of the button.
By
age 65, one in nine Canadians will experience vision loss
that cannot be corrected. By age 80, that figure increases
to one in four. Routine exams of the retina are important
to protect eyesight. Certain diseases, detected early enough,
can be treated.
Using
this new technology, the eye exam is painless and it often
means no more dilating drops that leave a patient with blurry
vision and light sensitivity. This part of the eye exam takes
seconds and provides an enhanced image of the retina which
can be clearly seen by the patient and doctor at the same
time. The image is used as a baseline for comparison from
year to year. It can also be sent to specialists around the
world for a diagnosis. There are currently nine units in Canada.
“This
takes eye care to a new level,” says Dr. Kerry Salsberg,
an optometrist at Eyes on Sheppard, where the unit was launched
in Toronto. “This technology today will be the standard
in practices in five to 10 years.”
During
a recent routine examination of a patient with the new instrument,
an otherwise undetected hole was discovered in the peripheral
retina, Dr. Salsberg says.
Traditionally,
dilating drops are used and the eye exam can be time-consuming
and uncomfortable for the patient. With this instrument, a
patient’s head is positioned in the unit and the panoramic
image of the eye immediately pops up on a nearby computer
screen. The Optomap retinal exam typically costs under
$50.
This
equipment was developed by Douglas Anderson, founder of Scottish
company Optos, whose son Leif lost the sight in one eye at
the age of five. The loss of vision was due to an undetected
retinal tear after a bicycling accident. Anderson set out
to develop a system that could not only capture an unprecedented
view of the eye but one that was patient-friendly.
For
more information:
Helen Dolik
HMD Media
Phone: 416-686-4477
E-mail: hmdmedia@sympatico.ca or visit www.optos.com
FAST
FACTS
- About
611,000 Canadians have “seeing limitations” according
to Statistics Canada. Approximately 56,840 people were considered
legally blind in Canada in 2001.
- In
2002, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
served about 105,000 people across Canada. That number is
projected to double by 2015. Every 10 minutes of every working
day, a new client requests help from the CNIB.
- Age-related
macular degeneration (AMD) affects more than 800,000 Canadians
over the age of 40. The late stage, associated with vision
loss, is the most common cause of legal blindness in people
over the age of 50 in the western world.
- Diabetes
is the leading cause of blindness and visual disabilities
in adults. Changes in the back of the eye are one of the
first signs of diabetic damage.
- It
is important to have annual vision tests to protect eyesight.
The back of your eye, the retina, needs to be checked to
ensure it is healthy and not damaged or showing signs of
disease. Many eye diseases, if detected early, can be treated
successfully without a total loss of vision.
