HEIDEBERG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Glaucoma Module Premium Edition for SPECTRALIS provides a comprehensive analysis of the optic nerve head, retinal nerve fiber layer, and ganglion cell layer by precisely matching unique scan patterns to the fine anatomic structures relevant in glaucoma diagnostics.
By means of a new proprietary technology called the Anatomic Positioning System, the module creates an anatomic map unique to each patient’s eye using two fixed, structural landmarks: the center of the fovea and the center of Bruch’s membrane opening. All subsequent scan protocols are automatically oriented according to each eye’s unique anatomic map, enabling a precise examination of relevant structures over time.
Furthermore, the Glaucoma Module Premium Edition compares patients’ eyes to an age- and disc size-adjusted reference database of healthy eyes representing the racial and ethnic mix of the US population, flagging small deviations that may be clinically relevant. This allows for a highly sensitive assessment of structural damage characteristic of glaucoma and a close monitoring of structural changes indicative of glaucomatous progression.
The physiological and technical premise of the Glaucoma Module Premium Edition is based on research collaborations between two groups led by Balwantray C. Chauhan, Ph.D., Dalhousie University in Halifax (Canada), and Claude F. Burgoyne, M.D., Devers Eye Institute in Portland, OR (USA) performed with the SPECTRALIS imaging platform1,2,3,4,5,6. Their work revealed the importance of making an anatomically and geometrically accurate neuroretinal rim measurement using Bruch’s membrane opening, the anatomical outer border of the rim.
“The measurements are more accurate because they are based on an identifiable anatomical border of the rim and take into account its varying geometry at the point of measurement”, said Dr. Burgoyne. Dr. Chauhan added: “We have already been able to demonstrate that the use of this new measurement method translates into significantly enhanced diagnostic accuracy.”
“The 510(k) clearance of this product is great news for our company and also for glaucoma patients in the U.S. The Glaucoma Module Premium Edition is an excellent tool to assess glaucomatous damage based on a novel objective examination of the optic nerve head anatomy”, summarizes Dr. Gerhard Zinser, Managing Director of Heidelberg Engineering.
Analysis of the optic nerve head with Heidelberg Engineering’s SPECTRALIS® Glaucoma Module Premium Edition
References:
1. Chauhan B.C. et al., Ophthalmology, 2013;120:535–543.
2. Chauhan B.C. and Burgoyne C.F., Am J Ophthalmol. 2013;156:218-227.
3. Chauhan B.C. et al.,Ophthalmology, 2015;122:1786-1794.
4. He L. et al., PLoS One, 2014;9:e92225.
5. Reis A.S.et al., Ophthalmology, 2012;119:738–747.
6. Reis A.S. et al., Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 2012;53:1852–1860.
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.
