“OCT and UWF retinal imaging together form essential diagnostic tools”

Could you give us an overview of Optos’ plans for 100% Optical 2023?

We are back at the show with our ultra-widefield (UWF) and multi-modal imaging platforms, and on-stand continuing professional development (CPD) education. We will also be launching our AI platform.

Through the show, we will be shouting about our mission of ‘Saving Sight and Saving Lives.’ Our customers frequently tell us that Optos technology saves their patients’ sight and lives. The team will demonstrate the proven value of investing in an Optos device from a clinical perspective. We now have over 2000 clinical studies that validate UWF imaging as necessary technology to use in practice. Customers tell us they never regret investing in an Optos device, and only wish they had done so sooner.

What products and services will you be showcasing in particular?

We will demonstrate our Daytona UWF device, which is loved by so many of our UK customers, as well as our multi-modal UWF plus optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices, Monaco and Silverstone.

We will also be launching Optos AI Solutions, which combines UWF imaging with AI assessment, so practitioners in every care setting can more effectively protect vision.

The machine-based-learning software tool evaluates an optomap image following capture, and provides a rapid diabetic retinopathy (DR) result to the clinician, based on the lesions that are detected. A report is generated to indicate whether the subject has referable retinopathy.

The results are accurate, with a DR detection sensitivity of over 96% and specificity over 93%, and is reliable, with a report that includes thumbnails and quality metrics for each analysed image. With Optos AI we can now offer a fantastic tool for optometrists looking to expand their clinical offering with additional DR eye care screening.

With Optos AI we can now offer a fantastic tool for optometrists looking to expand their clinical offering with additional DR eye care screening

What education will Optos deliver at the show?

We have on-stand CPD lectures, as well as our Lunch and Learn experiences, where you can hear a peer perspective on how they integrate optomap and OCT into their practice and the clinical and commercial benefits that brings.

How can visitors best prepare for a successful session?

Book CPD and the Lunch and Learn sessions in advance. We will also be demonstrating our technology all day, every day throughout the show.

Educated patients make better choices around their eye health, glasses, and lenses

What key issues or industry developments has Optos observed in 2022 that you will be drawing from in conversations at the show?

The growing recognition that imaging the peripheral retina, as well as the posterior pole, is vital for enhanced patient care. Both OCT and UWF retinal imaging together form essential diagnostic tools, enhancing the ability of primary care optometry to detect changes across the retina, before the patient starts to experience symptoms from pathology.

With the challenges around NHS referrals and capacity, primary care optometry needs –more than ever – to be able to routinely view that peripheral region. Given the massive benefits our multi-modal devices bring, this will undoubtedly be the main area of focus for improvement and refinement of hardware and software in the future.

We also anticipate further improvements with the introduction of cloud-based storage and transfer of patient data, which will better allow the clinician in primary care to share images and image analysis directly with colleagues in secondary care.

With the current economic climate, it is very important that patients are educated on the value of looking after the health of their eyes with regular, timely eye examinations. We know that educated patients make better choices around their eye health, glasses, and lenses. Having enhanced screening such as optomap and OCT in practice, and sharing the results with patients, really helps to reinforce why they should keep returning to your practice for their enhanced eye exams.

The growing recognition that imaging the peripheral retina, as well as the posterior pole, is vital for enhanced patient care

What trends do you expect to see emerging from the show?

Conversations are clearly focused around the growing NHS ophthalmology waiting lists leading to preventable sight loss. We will drive conversations around how community optometry can be part of the solution.

We are seeing optometrists requesting different strategies around managing finances and funds for investing in new technology. Optometrists are considering how to protect their current business, whilst aiming to grow the patient base, both retaining and attracting the more discerning patient. We also see more discussion around moving towards private practice.

It seems that a big trend this year is exploring the future of artificial intelligence within the eye care sector. Of course, we will be giving our view on how AI will play its part. We hope to drive conversations around how AI will make an optometrist’s life easier. We don’t believe AI would replace the optometrist, but it could become the optometrists’ best friend, given how it can complement and aid the clinical work being done in High Street optometry. AI gives the sector an opportunity to make high quality eye care more accessible to many more people and help to save sight and save lives.

Why should delegates book a meeting or include a stop at your stand? What will they take away from the experience?

We want visitors to stop by stand M230 to experience the optomap wow-factor for themselves. The full team will be on-hand throughout the three day event to image visitors, and they are more than happy to help assess how the technology can be integrated into optometric practices.

We believe delegates will have their questions around ‘how and why to invest’ answered. We go on that journey with our customers. We understand that, when buying equipment for their practice, it is important to ensure that it will provide a unique function that helps them differentiate from competitors, while also creating value for their practice. Ideally, this would support retaining customers, creating an additional revenue stream and a higher standard of clinical care. There really is no comparison to Optos technology; we simply advise that visitors book a free, no obligation demo, to see how this world-leading technology would complement existing services within their optometric practice.

Can you share any exclusive insights for our readers about what they can expect on Optos’ stand?

It’s a busy programme for us. We have internal and external experts on hand, with a diverse range of knowledge. If anyone is curious about how an Optos device would fit into their practice model, we ask them to stop by our stand and see how we can help – we have options for all.

Optos has invested heavily in research and development (R&D), as well as clinical research, to ensure that products leverage our unique technology in a manner that is efficient and usable for the optometric practice, as well as being comfortable and convenient for the patient. Our world-leading devices and extensions to the modalities provided are key to this, but we also view developments in software solutions as a significant growth area. Plus, we have been part of the Nikon group for many years and enjoy access to their unsurpassed expertise and R&D in the field of optics.

Find Optos at stand M230 at 100% Optical 2023.

100% Optical 2023 will take place at ExCeL London from 25 – 27 February. Register for the event and find the full seminar programme on the 100% Optical website.