Why TearView®?
Eye clinics face an increasing influx of patients with tear film problems or with ophthalmic conditions that require accurate tear film function assessment.
Typically, tear film evaluation follows an initial slit lamp examination. One or more surrogate markers of tear film function are used e.g., fluorescein staining, lipid layer thickness, osmolarity, meibomian gland evaluation.
These are invasive, and none assess the dynamics of the tear film. For the clinician they are time consuming and if dry eye is diagnosed, treatment is an iterative process, requiring repeated evaluation of the tear film with the surrogate tests. Often, patients are referred to a specialist clinic. Patients and clinicians are frustrated.
TearView changes this because for the first time the tear film can be seen in real time during natural blinking as it spreads over the whole eye following. Any abnormalities and the effects of simple procedures such as meibomian gland expression can be seen instantly as can the effects of eye drops. If an abnormality is observed with TearView, then tests used by the clinic for dry eye can still be performed because TearView is totally non-invasive. For example, fluorescein staining could be performed to detect the extent of damage to the corneal surface.
TearView has the added advantage of being able to see abnormalities over the scleral regions as well. Tear film problems can occur in these areas with the cornea being free of tear film problems.
We believe that TearView will be the new primary slit lamp triaging assessment of the complete surface of the eye that allows any ophthalmic clinician to determine whether a tear film is functioning effectively or not.
TearView provides video images of the invisible tear film during the dynamics of the blinking cycles – taking about 30secs for assessing each eye. The device is designed to fit on any slit lamp turret and can be used in parallel with the other usual patient slit lamp examinations.
Uniquely for TearView, the efficacy of the clinician’s subsequent prescribed tear film treatment (eg, eye drops, changed contact lenses) can immediately be observed and its efficacy assessed.
We believe that TearView will be the new primary slit lamp triaging assessment of the complete surface of the eye that allows any ophthalmic clinician to determine whether a tear film is functioning effectively or not.
TearView provides video images of the invisible tear film during the dynamics of the blinking cycles – taking about 30secs for assessing each eye. The device is designed to fit on any slit lamp turret and can be used in parallel with the other usual patient slit lamp examinations.
Uniquely for TearView, the efficacy of the clinician’s subsequent prescribed tear film treatment (eg, eye drops, changed contact lenses) can immediately be observed and its efficacy assessed.
TearView® Clinical Video Studies
Example – Normal Tear Film
Patient 1: Barely Spreading
Patient 2: Dry Eye Partially Spreading
Patient 2: Dry Eye Partially Spreading Fluorescein
Patient 3: Break-Up Dry Eye
Patient 4: Dry Eye No Tear Film
Meibum Release
A frame from TearView® video of a patient with faulty tear
films in each eye (dark areas with no tear film coverage)
