Optrafair: Good technology on show

Easyscan

A device manufacturer now benefitting from direct presence in the UK was Easyscan, with its scanning laser ophthalmoscope retinal scanner of the same name.

The retinal scanner is billed as an alternative to OCT, which business development manager Graham Avery said was an often-underutilised piece of equipment in high street optometric practice. The Easyscan is a significant step up from a fundus camera, but with enough features and benefits to rival the practical elements of an OCT device.

The trump card held by the device is the elimination of dilation, with detailed images available through a pupil size of just 1.5mm, with minimal skill on the part of the operator and no discomfort for the patient. It can also be used in a lit room, making it easy to install in practice.

The optical design of the device makes sure that the illumination light is imaged through a 1.5mm area at the top part of the pupil with reflected light collected through the bottom of the pupil. In contrast to standard confocal Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopes the retina is not scanned with a single spot but with a narrow line, the reflected light is imaged on a line sensor to reject light not reflected from the retina. The company says it is this technique that allows for fast and high contrast imaging, through very small pupils.