Blood Vessel Measurement Technology Helps Doctors Manage Eye Diseases
CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Optovue, the global leader in the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA), will showcase AngioAnalytics™, the world’s first OCTA blood vessel measurement technology to help physicians manage diseases that cause progressive blindness, and 3D PAR, its three-dimensional projection artifact removal software at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting (AAO 2018) in Chicago. The company will also highlight its 9mm Epithelial Thickness Mapping (ETM), a wider version of its non-contact, quantitative method for corneal epithelia and stromal measurements.
AngioAnalytics brings objective data and analysis to Optovue’s commercially available AngioVue® OCTA technology that provides high-resolution imaging of retinal blood vessels. Combined, the two technologies create color-encoded maps of the vessel densities of the retina or optic nerve, and provide analyses of areas where there is blood vessel loss (non-perfusion), abnormal blood vessel growth (flow area), and several parameters to assess change to the foveal avascular zone, an area of the retina profoundly affected by diabetic retinopathy. The AngioAnalytics software also provides trend analysis so that doctors can objectively monitor retinal and vascular changes caused by disease progression or from treatment.
“AngioAnalytics provides an exciting measurement technology for glaucoma diagnostics,” said Jason Bacharach, M.D., of North Bay Eye Associates. “With a better understanding of the vascular implications of the optic nerve, we could potentially provide improved prognostic and therapeutic guidance to our patients.”
Optovue’s 3D PAR improves OCTA image quality and enables accurate measurement and interpretation of OCTA images. According to Dr. Paul Tornambe, with Retinal Consultants of San Diego, “3D PAR is a game changer because it is able to 'erase’ overlying inner retinal blood vessel artifacts allowing for better visualization and more accurate measurement of the outer retina and choroidal structures, which is essential in treating the abnormal blood vessel growth (CNV membrane) that leads to blindness for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).”
Optovue’s ETM, now available on the Avanti® Widefield OCT system, provides corneal epithelial and stromal measurements that aid in the diagnosis, documentation and management of ocular health and diseases in the adult population. The measurement of corneal epithelial thickness is recognized by eye care professionals as a vital part of assessing patients for refractive surgery and following post-operative recovery, as well as managing patients with progressive eye diseases and ocular surface disorders.
“ETM provides us with an amazing tool that I think will revolutionize the way we perform refractive surgery,” said Mihir Parikh, M.D., chief surgeon at NVISION Eye Center in San Diego. “It gives us one more piece of data that, up until now, we haven’t been measuring or following to determine if a patient is stable and a good candidate for refractive surgery. In addition, ETM helps me to better diagnose, treat and follow my patients with dry eyes, keratoconus and fluctuating vision post-refractive surgery.”
Optovue received FDA 510(k) clearance for AngioAnalytics, and expanded FDA clearance for ETM in June 2018. The expanded clearance for ETM added a nine-millimeter scan to the previously available six-millimeter map, allowing for detection of epithelial irregularities in an area that is about two-and-a-quarter times that of the area covered by the six-millimeter scan.
The company will also showcase its non-mydriatic ophthalmic camera, Vivicon, which offers a touch-screen tablet interface with fully automatic alignment and image capture. AngioAnalytics, ETM and the Vivicon ophthalmic camera will be featured during AAO 2018 in Optovue’s booth, #1026, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Oct. 27-30, 2018.
About Optovue
Optovue, Inc. is a privately held medical device company founded in 2003. Headquartered in Fremont, Calif., the company is dedicated to the advancement and commercialization of high-speed OCT and OCTA technology used to facilitate the diagnosis and management of eye diseases, many of which may lead to permanent blindness. Optovue is the first company to develop and commercialize the pioneering OCTA technology. To date, there are over 400 peer-reviewed publications detailing the AngioVue® OCTA imaging technology and clinical applications. The company has installed over 12,000 products worldwide. For more information, visit www.optovue.com.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/63d45930-c9f0-4732-82c3-0fc9bc6353e3