In-office blepharoexfoliation has gained traction over the last decade as a safe and effective management option for patients with dry eye disease and meibomian gland dysfunction, often used in conjunction with topical treatments. The procedure exfoliates the eyelid surface and margins to remove bacterial biofilm overlying the meibomian orifices.

The developers of the BlephEx device for performing blepharoexfoliation have introduced a new product, which the company calls OptiVize, that can be paired with BlephEx to help bolster the effect of treatment and restore healthy meibum. While BlephEx removes the biofilm on the eyelid surface, OptiVize breaks down the biofilm within the meibomian glands, allowing for more effective expression, the company explains.

A new device called "OptiVize" uses a novel method called biofilm vaporization combined with heated ultrasonic forceps to optimize MG expression. It's intended to be performed immediately after blepharoexfoliation. Photo: BlephEx. Click image to enlarge.

For patients with poor quality or insufficient meibum production, the company recommends administering both procedures once a month at the start of treatment. First, BlephEx is performed to exfoliate the eyelids; then, the OptiVize procedure helps loosen and extract oil from clogged meibomian glands. The company says the new device vaporizes the intraglandular biofilm in the lash follicles and meibomian glands via a painless electric current. The result is then expressed from the glands using heated ultrasonic forceps. The company states in its press release that by adding ultrasound to the expression procedure, meibomian oil that has thickened over the years as well as accumulated bacteria can be extracted more effectively.

The goal of repeating these three steps each month—blepharoexfoliation followed by biofilm vaporization and gland expression—is to get patients to a state where they can produce their own healthy meibum. Once clear oil is expressed at consecutive visits, the company recommends performing BlephEx treatment (without pairing it with OptiVize) every four to six months to keep the biofilm contained.

BlephEx is currently conducting a pilot study on this paired treatment protocol involving 50 patients, the results of which will be published in a few months.

For more information, visit https://blephex.com.