“A very neat, high-performing solution”

Representative from Aston Vision Sciences attended 100% Optical to share its newly launched fluorescein filter, a product designed to support practitioners when observing fluorescein in patients’ eyes.

Karl Obszanski, director and founder of the Aston University spin-off company, shared with OT that his aim when developing the fluorescein filter was to “produce a low-cost solution that could still give [practitioners] the best clarity.”

Obszanski explained: “We find that a lot of practitioners don’t use a barrier when they are observing fluorescein on the front of patients’ eyes, and a barrier filter gives them much more information about what’s going on. It can inform about dry eye conditions, tear film break up time, corneal scratches, and contact lens fitting.”

The company’s new fluorescein filter “is compatible with many slit lamps that practitioners have today… clipping onto the front of the objective lens, and, if not, it can still be held by hand,” Obszanski highlighted.

Established as a result of research as part of his PhD, when developing the filter Obszanski looked at various existing filters that are already incorporated into slit lamps, determining that their colour signatures “do not really match” those of fluorescein.

The fluorescein filter has been developed to be “very close to fluorescein,” allowing for high contrast and very high clarity, even at low blue light levels,” Obszanski said, adding that the colour has been incorporated into a plastic filter, “allowing for great contrast, great viewing, but also in a simple shape that can fit onto most slit lamps.”

While this is the first product from the company, Obszanski confirmed to OT: “We have more in the pipeline that are going to be very special.”

The fluorescein filter is available on the company’s website, or through its preferred distributor, Sight and Sound Technologies.