“I knew from the very first photograph that we took that it was staying”

Optometrist Judith Long purchased an Optos Daytona device for her Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, practice in 2020.

“I knew from the very first photograph that we took that it was staying and that it wasn’t going back out of the door again,” she told OT when discussing the benefits that purchasing the ultrawide-field imaging device has brought both her business and her patients.

When Long opened her practice – Judith Long Opticians – eight years ago, she initially purchased a fundus camera, before investing further in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device in 2017.

Based in a rural location, Long explained that the majority of her patients drive to the practice, which means performing a dilated fundus exam “there and then can be tricky.” This is where the Daytona device steps in, she said, allowing clinicians to capture images without necessarily dilating the patient.

Long admits that pandemic did play a part in her purchase, sharing: “With masks and the Volk lens getting steamed up, I was really worried about missing something.”

What the Daytona does

Talking to OT about the benefits of the Daytona device, Long emphasised: “Whenever you are taking an image of somebody’s eyes, instead of being able to see up to 15% of the retina like you would with Volk and OCT fundus photographs, [with the Daytona] you are able to see 82%, and further this with eye steering. You are getting a really good view of the full periphery, which we would never have been able to otherwise.”

She also highlights the autofluorescence functionality that comes with the Daytona, which enables her to see if there is anything “active” going on in the retinal pigment epithelium, as well as the ability to generate a 3D model of an eye, “allowing you to show patients exactly where something is.”

Business model

When welcoming the Daytona into her practice last year, Long initially offered it to patients as an “additional extra” to the standard sight test, and “encouraged” patients to have it done. However, she has since taken the decision to include the imagery in the practice’s standard sight test because “the benefits of having it far outweigh not having it done.”

Discussing patient response to the imaging device over the last 12 months, Long said: “[Patients] are blown away by the technology and how much it can see.”

From a clinician’s perspective, Long highlighted: “You don’t know what you are missing until you start to use it.”

Reflecting on having the Daytona device in practice, Long said: “I would definitely recommend getting an Optos device, it will change how you practise. It will let you see a lot more pathology, help you to refer your patients better, and also give them added reassurance that everything is ok with their eyes.”