Pharmaceuticals

Glaucoma Drug Now Approved
Vyzulta (latanoprostene bunod ophthalmic solution, 0.024%), by Bausch + Lomb and Nicox, is now FDA approved. A prostaglandin analog, it is indicated for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension, and will be available by the end of year, according to B+L.

The once-daily monotherapy agent metabolizes into latanoprost acid, which primarily works within the uveoscleral pathway, and butanediol mononitrate, which releases nitric oxide to increase outflow through the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm’s canal, B+L says.

Visit ir.valeant.com. 

Diagnostic Technology

New Ultrasound System
DGH Technology’s Scanmate Flex ultrasound system is notable for the flexibility it gives clinicians, the company says. The device can be equipped with any combination of three probe types: UBM, A-scan and B-scan. Desktop or wall-mounted, its internal battery allows it to operate for hours without being plugged in, according to DGH.

Visit dghtechnology.com.

Camera for Retinal Video
Heine recently upgraded the imaging resolution of its Omega 500 BIO. The camera now provides five-megapixel resolution with no disturbing picture noise, due to the camera’s increased light sensitivity, according to the company. Practitioners can easily connect to a projector to display the video imaging. The company is offering institutional discounts for the Omega 500. 

Visit www.heine.com.

Accutome by Keeler
Keeler has acquired the Accutome clinical and diagnostic lines of products. The new “Accutome by Keeler” brand offers a full complement of clinical pharmaceuticals and supplies, according to the company. Devices for pachymetry, tonometry and ultrasound imaging add to Keeler’s established line of ophthalmic products.  

Visit www.accutome.com. 

Patient-use Devices

Low Vision Aid
Practitioners interested in adding low vision have a new device to consider. IrisVision uses Samsung’s Galaxy S7 phone and GearVR virtual reality headset to magnify, brighten and sharpen text or objects seen through the device. It enables a 70-degree visual range, wider than other low vision devices, the company says. Users can zoom in and out as needed for different visual tasks and can adjust screen brightness and contrast, interpupillary distance and magnifier position and shape. Black and white and inverted text modes allow for easier reading. 

Visit irisvision.com. 

In-home Vision Therapy
Vivid Vision has launched a home-use version of its virtual reality vision therapy system, called Vivid Vision Home. Patients first see a doctor for an evaluation and prescription, then can use the device (in conjunction with the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or Samsung GearVR) to conduct vision therapy at home. Vivid Vision Home includes tools to assess and track changes in vision, as well as exercises designed to take advantage of room-scale VR and positional controls, according to the company. Doctors can track treatment and response remotely.

Visit www.seevividly.com.

Scleral Lenses

New Design for Irregular Corneas
The Onefit Med scleral lens from Blanchard simplifies fitting for keratoconic patients with nipple and oval cones, as well as post-RK and post-LASIK patients. Practitioners set the parameters for central, mid-peripheral, limbal and edge zones, then customize the final design with an online fitting tool. Multifocal, oblate and front toric geometries are possible, the company says, and the design minimizes lens thickness and tear layer to maximize oxygen transmission.

Visit blanchardlab.com.

Quadrant-specific Control
BostonSight has introduced a new quadrant-specific toric lens design that comes with built-in scleral shape and right- and left-eye anatomical designs. Available in 18.0mm, 18.5mm and 19.0mm, the BostonSight Scleral is the first of its kind to provide front-surface eccentricity options for aberration control, the company says. BostonSight used six years of data from approximately 7,000 eyes to develop the lens. The incorporated scleral shape allows clinicians to use the same starting point for every patient regardless of their condition, according to the company.  

Visit www.bostonsight.org.