Tag: visuall

More Data, More Quickly

With the Marco OPD-Scan III wavefront aberrometer and the VisuALL virtual reality visual field perimeter, Rachel Tellez, OD, of San Antonio, Texas, captures more information on each patient. The systems talk to each other, so staff members don’t have to load data manually. And Dr. Tellez has all the topography and perimetry data right on her screen.

Since the VisuALL system is portable and allows the user to perform several tests without having to move the patient from one machine to another, that system has also sped up the data-gathering process. “Within a minute or less, the refraction, keratometry and topography are all on one screen, showing both eyes, much faster than compared to performing these tests with three separate instruments,” Dr. Tellez says.


Article originally published in Vision Source OD magazine. Learn more about Vision Source here.

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VisuALL: The Future of Visual Testing is Here

Time is money, and factors like staffing and available workspace can significantly impact both. For example, if you’ve felt the effects of the great resignation or bottlenecked testing rooms plague your technicians, your practice might be missing out on its earning potential. A virtual reality testing platform could provide the much-needed performance boost you seek.

Olleyes VisuALL ETS and VisuALL S Virtual Reality Platforms are multi-function systems that can consolidate a roomful of equipment into a single headset that patients wear for reliable, fast, and easy testing. Tests include:

  • Visual field (adult and pediatric)
  • Visual acuity (near and far)
  • Color vision (D-15)
  • Contrast sensitivity
  • Pupillometry
  • Extraocular motility
  • And more

One of the most significant factors in establishing a productive, profitable business is your ability to cycle patients from the waiting area to the exam room and out as efficiently as possible while still providing a quality exam. With all of their capabilities in one headset, here are a few ways virtual reality platforms like VisuALL can help revolutionize your practice’s productivity.

1. Make Better Use of Office Space

Simply a headset and controller, not big, bulky tabletop equipment like traditional units, VisuALL doesn’t require a dedicated space with specific lighting. “I like to tell doctors that (with VisuALL) they could run their visual field tests in their lobby if they wanted to,” says Jeff Morris, an Area Manager with Marco. “The equipment goes where you are without any special tech or space requirements.”

The gold standard for visual field perimetry has always been a large, standalone device. But Claudio Lagunas, OD, of Lifetime Eyecare Associates, explains how the VisuALL has been a better fit for his practice. “We’re growing, so space is limited. VisuALL’s portability has been great for us. Being able to move it from room to room has helped eliminate logjams in our pre-test area. Plus, our patients have really embraced the technology and the kids love it!”

2. Free Up Your Staff

Team members delegated to perform visual field testing often feel like they drew the short straw. It’s time-consuming, and they’re usually at the mercy of the patient’s ability to perform the test. Fortunately, Olleyes has equipped its VisuALL platforms with an interactive virtual assistant named Annie. Annie walks patients through the testing process step-by-step. Practices can also create test bundles with groups of their most commonly used tests and Annie will take the patient from one to the next until they are all complete.

“With our VisuALL, the technician is not tethered to the test. Once they get started, Annie will go ahead and walk the patient through with instructions and keep them going, while our assistants can go over and start the next patient or get going on something else. It’s really made us much more efficient.” For most common protocols, the testing process only takes about three to four minutes total.

“The biggest thing for me is that it’s so consistent,” says Emily Coles, OD, owner and operator of Big Rapids Family Eyecare. “I have four technicians, and now they’re all delivering a uniform exam. With our previous machine, someone had to sit with the patient and ensure their eyeball was lined up with a camera. Now, they just have to help them with the mask, and the virtual assistant delivers the same instruction every time.”

3. Provide a Better Patient Experience

Virtual reality platforms like VisuALL also create a significantly less stressful testing experience for patients. “My patients tell me they are much more comfortable with the VisuALL system,” Coles says. “They don’t have to sit leaning forward on a chin rest, and we don’t need to finagle trial lenses. Patients dreaded the old way of testing so much that some would just decline it. It’s so much better now.”

VisuALL is also much more comfortable for elderly patients and less stressful for testing children, ultimately resulting in happier patients and more accurate test results. There’s no need to prop kids up at a big machine built for an adult.

Children will sit still longer with a virtual reality headset than a traditional device, and Olleyes even went one step further by creating a pediatric version of the visual field test that’s more like a game. In fact, a recent study conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that VisuALL’s game-based VRP can be used to effectively map out the peripheral vision of pediatric patients and has a higher patient satisfaction than that of a traditional HFA. Patients found the headset more engaging and were more willing to complete the requested testing.

In addition to comfort, having the latest technology shows patients that you’re invested in their vision care. Lagunas says his patients appreciate the technology and it keeps them coming back to his practice. “One of the best compliments I get from my patients is when they ask me, ‘What’s new this year, doc?’ That’s a culture we’ve built over the years that keeps patients engaged with the process and their experience.”

4. Improve Testing Data

When compared to traditional methods, one of the distinguishing features of the VisuALL ETS is the Dynamic Matrix, a proprietary algorithm that significantly reduces fixation loss, many times to zero. Patients and technicians can relax because the VisuALL automatically tracks their gaze, yielding more accurate test results than traditional perimeters.

“A traditional visual field test is thrown off when a patient ‘cheats’ by not staring at the target,” says Morris. “If the stimulus is to the right, and you’re looking to the right, you’re going to say you can see it. But the VisuALL ETS will account for your movement and move the stimulus proportionally to your gaze.”

The VisuALL virtual assistant also has the ability to speak more than 30 languages, so test results are not influenced by communication barriers.

5. Lower Costs

It may seem a bit salesy to say that a piece of equipment pays for itself, but when compared to the cost of traditional devices, a VisuALL unit can represent significant savings, especially if you’re starting or expanding a practice.

“Imagine you’re just starting out and you don’t have a visual field machine,” Coles says. “Are you going to want to spend $30,000 or $3,000? It’s a huge price difference to get the same result. If you’re a multi-doctor practice, you will want to buy two of these. It’s a Captain Obvious moment.”

Using VisuALL for Glaucoma testing alone, Lagunas says his practice saw a return on its investment in the first year, outperforming some of the other technology in his office. However, he says the patient experience the device provides is priceless. “It’s just a wow factor that we can give our patients,” he says. “They can’t believe how cool the technology is. So in that respect, it paid for itself right away.”

If you’re interested in learning more about how a virtual reality platform can help your practice, click here or reach out to your local Marco Area Manager.

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“Nearly Instantaneous” ROI on Marco Technology

Claudio Lagunas, OD, is a builder of practices. He has owned nine—with four at one time—but now has just two. One is his established practice in Woodlands, Texas. He and his wife Grisel Lagunas, OD, recently acquired an existing practice in Spring, Texas, when the opportunity was too good not to jump at it.

In order to grow a practice so that it becomes more profitable and efficient, Dr. Lagunas invests in technology. In his practice in Woodlands, there is an OPD3 wavefront system from Marco that he put in nearly 18 years ago. Then about seven years ago, he added the TRS refraction system. “I needed shoulder surgery, and I wanted to be proactive about protecting my other shoulder by being able to sit down and be comfortable versus reaching up and spinning the dial,” he says.

The surgery went well, and he regained full functionality. An associate, he jokes, “commandeered” the one exam lane he had converted to a fully digital system. He had been OK with that because he felt like he was completing exams efficiently with a manual phoropter. But as the doctors are building a new location to move that practice into, “all of our new lanes will be digital with the Marco systems as their quality and durability can’t be matched,” he says.

The six ODs in the larger Woodlands office cover the 50 hours a week that practice is open. In the smaller practice, there are four ODs. Creating efficiency and moving patients through the exam process more quickly result in additional time that patients can spend in the optical and help open the schedule for a few more patient exams.

In addition, the TRS includes what he calls “the money button” — a toggle switch that allows the patient to compare their current prescription with the one derived that day. “Patients can justify the purchase of their new eyewear more easily when they see that there’s a difference. It has increased our multiple pair sales and our capture rate,” he says.

Metrics he needs

What he most appreciates about the OPD-Scan III is its five-in-one functionality and space-saving design. It is an autorefractor, keratometer, pupillometer, corneal topographer and integrated wavefront aberrometer that captures diagnostic measurements in less than 10 seconds per eye.

That helps the doctors determine whether there are aberrations that might make a soft contact lens unsuitable. “Using the wavefront analysis, we can see right away if a soft lens isn’t going to work and can steer the patient to a specialty lens fit,” he says. And then they don’t have to rely on a series of empirical fittings to get to the final fit. “As doctors, we look really good when we can get the specialty lens fi t right from the start,” he says.

Exceeding expectations

For these two pieces of instrumentation, Dr. Lagunas says that the return on investment was “nearly instantaneous.” He justifies that by noting that they make the exams more efficient and quicker, allowing doctors to fit more patients into the day. They minimize transcription or other errors, virtually eliminating remakes due to this kind of mistake. They have helped increase the number of contact lens specialty fits and the capture rate.

With the remote control function now available that can allow doctors to operate the equipment remotely, the implications for being able to “see” patients in other locations or if the doctor is not onsite add to the appeal.

Dr. Lagunas has also added the Olleyes VisuALL from Marco, which helps him consolidate equipment into a single, portable headset. “We will be using this more extensively in our new location. It allows us to bring in virtual field testing without sacrificing floor space or efficiencies,” he says. He can also run these tests without having to dedicate a dark room to this testing. Since it’s so portable, the patient doesn’t have to be as mobile, or a test can be done in the exam room rather than taking the time to move the patient in and out of a special testing area. “In small locations, every square foot counts, so multifunction equipment is a benefit.”

These investments in technology are important to his patients, too. “They like to hear what we’ve added since their last visit,” he says. While some of the specialty instruments that he brings in are used only for patients with certain conditions, every patient sits at the OPD and many experience the TRS autorefraction system, too. They enjoy the experience and the knowledge that they are benefitting from technology that is going to help the doctor deliver the most customized visual solution for them.


Article originally published in Vision Source OD magazine. Learn more about Vision Source here.

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Automated Refractions Make Exams Faster And Easier – An Article From Women in Optometry

Original Article Published in Women in Optometry

Automated system for refractions brings physical relief, too.

Since opening her own practice in 2003, Rachel Tellez, OD, has moved Vision Source Leon Springs in San Antonio, Texas, into a newer location just a few hundred feet away, seen patients grow and bring in children of their own and added an associate OD.

Something that has continually aided the practice’s growth, she says, has been the Marco technologies that bring efficiencies to the exam process. For the first almost 30 years of her career, Dr. Tellez utilized an old-fashioned, bulky phoropter that required her to spend much of her days with her arms outstretched, spinning dials.

Dr. Tellez—a regular at physical therapy with two bad shoulders—read a colleague’s account of using an automated refraction system. A visit to The Exchange®, the Vision Source annual meeting, in 2016, held in her hometown that year, solidified her decision to update her lanes with the Marco TRS-6100 Automated Refraction System with Infinity Remote Software.

“I only updated one lane and kept the old phoropter around in case we ever needed it,” Dr. Tellez says. “It didn’t take me long before I realized we needed the same equipment in our other two lanes. I was never going back.” Rather than relegating her other exam lanes to
second-tier status because she didn’t OD want to use them, she added the Marco equipment to both. The advantages were immediate.

THE WOW FACTOR

Patients who have been seeing Dr. Tellez for years are able to experience some of the high-tech instrumentation. Every patient sits at the Marco TRS, so they all appreciate the change from the stress of having to answer questions about clarity of numbers.

FASTER REFRACTIONS 

With the process of obtaining the refractive correction more quickly, Dr. Tellez and the patient have more time to talk about other ocular health issues, the need for backup eyewear, dry eye treatments or other concerns the patient may have. Or the patient is able to get into the optical area faster to pick out their new eyewear.

MORE DATA, MORE QUICKLY

With the OPD-Scan III Wavefront Aberrometer and the VisuALL virtual reality visual field perimeter, Dr. Tellez captures more information on each patient. The systems talk to each other, so staff members don’t have to load data manually. And Dr. Tellez has all the topography and perimetry data right on her screen.

Since the VisuALL system is portable and allows the user to perform several tests without having to move the patient from one machine to another, that system has also sped up the data-gathering process. “Within a minute or less, the refraction, keratometry and topography are all on one screen, showing both eyes, much faster than compared to performing these tests with three separate instruments,” Dr. Tellez says.

She easily can find results that are automatically saved onto a data card and then transferred into the TRS. “We don’t have to input the data manually, which increases accuracy and definitely saves time,” she says.

PATIENT CHOICE

It’s challenging for any doctor to determine whether a small refractive change means that the patient “needs” new eyeglasses. The OPD screen features side-by-side comparisons so
patients can compare their current prescription to the one she derived that day. This puts the decision on whether new eyewear is worth it in the patient’s hands. Even small
refractive changes can make a big difference to some patients, and if they decide that’s the case, they feel great about buying new eyewear.

SHORT LEARNING CURVE

Dr. Tellez says that technology mastery is not one of her strongest suits, but within 15 minutes of sitting down with her Marco representative, she felt confident with the technology and what it could do. Patients also appreciate how easy it is.

GOODBYE, SHOULDER PAIN

Dr. Tellez can operate the autorefraction system by tabletop console, so she can relax her body. The shoulder pain that bothered her has completely disappeared, she says.

Advanced technology not only makes patients more confident in the care they receive, Dr. Tellez says, but it also ensures she is giving her patients the most appropriate options. “These patients are getting a more in-depth exam, and it’s easier on me and my team,” Dr. Tellez says.

Hearing about the experiences that her colleagues have had with products and technologies gave Dr. Tellez the push she needed to learn more. She’s grateful she listened and cannot imagine still practicing the way she did just a few years ago.

Filed under: Marco BlogTagged with: , , , ,

Make Exams Faster and Easier

Rachel Tellez, OD, has been with Vision Source® since she started her career as an associate OD at one of the very first Vision Source practices in the San Antonio, Texas, area in 1990. Once she became a part of the Vision Source community, she says, it stuck with her, so when she opened her own location in 2003, she took advantage of all the benefits of membership for her new startup practice.

Since then, Dr. Tellez has moved her office into a newer location just a few hundred feet away, seen patients grow and bring in children of their own and added an associate OD. Something that has continually aided the practice’s growth, she says, has been the Marco technologies that bring efficiencies to the exam process.

For the first almost 30 years of her career, Dr. Tellez utilized an old-fashioned, bulky phoropter that required her to spend much of her days with her arms outstretched, spinning dials. Dr. Tellez—a regular at physical therapy with two bad shoulders— read about a piece of updated tech in an earlier issue of Vision Source OD magazine. A visit to The Exchange® in 2016, held in her hometown that year, solidified her decision to update her lanes with the Marco TRS-6100 Automated Refraction System with Infinity Remote Software.

“I only updated one lane and kept the old phoropter around in case we ever needed it,” Dr. Tellez says. “It didn’t take me long before I realized we needed the same equipment in our other two lanes. I was never going back.” Rather than relegating her other exam lanes to second-tier status because she didn’t want to use them, she added the Marco equipment to both. The advantages were immediate.

The wow factor

Patients who have been seeing Dr. Tellez for years are able to experience some of the high-tech instrumentation. Every patient sits at the Marco TRS, so they all appreciate the change from the stress of having to answer questions about clarity of numbers.

Faster refractions

With the process of obtaining the refractive correction more quickly, Dr. Tellez and the patient have more time to talk about other ocular health issues, the need for backup eyewear, dry eye treatments or other concerns the patient may have. Or the patient is able to get into the optical area faster to pick out their new eyewear.

More data, more quickly. With the OPD-Scan III Wavefront Aberrometer and the VisuALL virtual reality visual field perimeter, Dr. Tellez captures more information on each patient. The systems talk to each other, so staff members don’t have to load data manually. And Dr. Tellez has all the topography and perimetry data right on her screen. Since the VisuALL system is portable and allows the user to perform several tests without having to move the patient from one machine to another, that system has also sped up the data-gathering process. “Within a minute or less, the refraction, keratometry and topography are all on one screen, showing both eyes, much faster than compared to performing these tests with three separate instruments,” Dr. Tellez says. She easily can find results that are automatically saved onto a data card and then transferred into the TRS. “We don’t have to input the data manually, which increases accuracy and definitely saves time,” she says.

Patient choice

It’s challenging or any doctor to determine whether a small refractive change means that the patient “needs” new eyeglasses. The OPD screen features side-by-side comparisons so patients can compare their current prescription to the one she derived that day. This puts the decision on whether new eyewear is worth it in the patient’s hands. Even small refractive changes can make a big difference to some patients, and if they decide that’s the case, they feel great about buying new eyewear.

Short learning curve

Dr. Tellez says that technology mastery is not one of her strongest suits, but within 15 minutes of sitting down with her Marco representative, she felt confident with the technology and
what it could do. Patients also appreciate how easy it is.

Goodbye, shoulder pain

Dr. Tellez can operate the autorefraction system by tabletop console, so she can relax her body. The shoulder pain that bothered her has completely disappeared, she says.

Advanced technology not only makes patients more confident in the care they receive, Dr. Tellez says, but it also ensures she is giving her patients the most appropriate options. “These patients are getting a more in-depth exam, and it’s easier on me and my team,” Dr. Tellez says.

Hearing about the experiences that her colleagues have had with products and technologies from Elite vendors like Marco gave Dr. Tellez the push she needed to learn more. She’s grateful she listened and cannot imagine still practicing the way she did just a few years ago.


Article originally published in Vision Source OD magazine. Learn more about Vision Source here.

Filed under: Marco BlogTagged with: , , , ,

Marco Enters United States Distribution Agreement with Olleyes, Inc.

Advancing Eyecare Company, Marco Ophthalmic, Announces VisuALL S Virtual Reality Visual Field Analyzer as New Addition to Product Portfolio

Jacksonville, Florida, June 24, 2021 – Marco Ophthalmic, a leading ophthalmic technology company, has entered into a distribution agreement with Olleyes, Inc., who offers intuitive and easy-to-use virtual reality ophthalmic products. Effective immediately, Marco, will add the Olleyes VisuALL S VRP® (Virtual reality Platform) into their existing portfolio of ophthalmic medical devices. 

The VisuALL is the latest commercially-available virtual reality visual field analyzer that can be used in clinical practice to detect glaucoma and to evaluate other eye diseases.

“The VisuALL is a multi-testing Virtual Reality Platform that increases doctors’ efficiencies. The platform brings several advantages over current technologies. Our alliance with Marco will help more clinicians and patients benefit from the VisuALL throughout the United States.” said Alberto Gonzalez-Garcia MD, CEO of Olleyes.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness[i]. Based on prevalence studies, it is estimated that 79.6 million individuals had glaucoma by 2020, and this number is likely to increase to 111.8 million individuals in 2040[ii]. In many cases, glaucoma may be asymptomatic. Unfortunately, many individuals are unaware of the existence of glaucoma and as many as half of those with glaucoma are unaware that they are affected[iii].

In many cases, blindness can be prevented with appropriate control and treatment, and the VisuALL can help with early detection of these diseases.

“Marco is one of the largest and most respected suppliers of ophthalmic equipment and medical devices in the country, and Olleyes is extremely excited to enter into this distribution partnership,” said Armond Dantino, VP of Business Development of Olleyes. “By expanding our distribution network throughout the United States, the VisuAll S VRP has potential to reach an additional 200 million people.  Partnering with the Marco team helps Olleyes to realize our company’s vision of providing a comfortable, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective solution for administering visual diagnostics.”

Jocelyn Hamilton, Head of Sales and Vice President/General Manager for Marco Ophthalmic, commented, “We are rapidly executing our innovation pipeline and building a full suite of products in the ophthalmic technology space. Our approach to fulfilling market needs in this ever-changing environment has been very strategic and we are excited to partner with Olleyes to promote and distribute the VisuALL to eyecare professionals nationwide.”

To get more information about the VisuALL go to marco.com/product/olleyes-visuall-vrp.

 

About Advancing Eyecare

Advancing Eyecare™ is a partnership of leaders in the eyecare instrumentation marketplace established to offer the best products and service solutions in the ophthalmic equipment industry. Currently comprised of Marco Ophthalmic, Lombart Instrument, Enhanced Medical Services (EMS), Ophthalmic Instruments, Inc., S4OPTIK, and INNOVA Medical, the combined scope of the organization has the broadest product portfolio, the most knowledgeable people, and the most reliable service in the industry. Visit www.advancingeyecare.com for more information.

About Marco Ophthalmic

As the Leader in Vision Diagnostics®, Marco continues to revolutionize the ophthalmic industry with a full suite of automated refractive and diagnostic devices as well as a broad range of high-end classic exam lane equipment. Marco is a member of the Advancing Eyecare Alliance. Visit www.marco.com for more information.

About Olleyes

Olleyes, Inc. equips eye care professionals with the instrument, tools, and education needed to effectively diagnose and treat patients with glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. Olleyes was created by a visionary neuro-ophthalmologist and a group of professionals who saw the necessity of making eye-care accessible and personalized. The company makes intuitive and easy to use products, equipped with artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), eye tracking and proprietary algorithms to make the eye evaluation faster and more reliable. Visit www.olleyes.com for additional information.

Media Contact:

Chris Tofalli
Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC
914-834-4334

  • [ii] “Global Prevalence of Glaucoma and Projections of Glaucoma Burden through 2040”, Ophthalmology 2014; 121:2081-2090
  • [iii] Quigley, H. A., Broman, A. T., “The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020,” British Journal of Ophthalmology (2006); 90:262–267. doi: 10.1136/bjo.2005.081224
    • Friedman, David S., Roger C.W. Wolfs, Benita J. O’Colmain, Barbara E. Klein, Hugh R. Taylor, Sheila West, M. Cristina Leske, Paul Mitchell, Nathan G. Congdon, and John Kempen. “Prevalence of Open-Angle Glaucoma Among Adults in the United States“. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2004 Vol. 122, No. 4, pp. 532-8
    • Tielsch JM, Sommer A, Katz J, Royall RM, Quigley HA, Javitt J. Racial variations in the prevalence of primary open-angle glaucoma: the Baltimore Eye Survey. JAMA. 1991;266:369–374
    • Wensor MD, McCarty CA, Stanislavsky YL, Livingston PM, Taylor HR. The prevalence of glaucoma in the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. Ophthalmology. 1998;105:733–739

 

 

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