A provider of femtosecond laser technology for refractive cataract surgery, LENSAR, announced it received the CE Mark from European Union regulators for a suite of five new application technologies integrated into the LENSAR® Laser System. The LENSAR Laser System with its femtosecond laser cataract platform enables automation of key surgical procedure planning and execution elements with Streamline™ application.https://cdn.specpick.com/images/photonics/lensar_webready_300.jpg712370

The upgrade include:

Wireless integration with popular topographers

Iris registration

Cataract density imaging

Customized fragmentation patterns

Arcuate incision planning

LENSAR CEO Nicholas T. Curtis said that the Streamline upgrades to the LENSAR Laser System include integration of functions that allow surgeons to fully automate and customize critical planning and execution steps of refractive cataract surgery for the first time.

The LENSAR Laser System is the first femtosecond laser cataract platform to establish a wireless integration protocol with preoperative diagnostic devices. Enabling wireless data transfer of preoperative corneal measurements from the Cassini™ Corneal Shape Analyzer to the LENSAR Laser System improves procedure flow and eliminates potential errors from manual entry of data from the device used in the preoperative and surgical planning process.

An exclusive feature of the integration with Cassini is the ability to wirelessly transfer the pre-operative un-dilated iris image from the Cassini to the LENSAR Laser for comparison to the iris image while the eye is fully docked under the LENSAR laser at procedure time and automatic compensation for cyclorotation by adjusting incision placement for improved refractive outcomes. This eliminates the need to manually ink mark the eye to identify and adjust for the cyclorotation that may occur when a patient is reclined during surgery. Lensar is working to integrate additional topographers, including the Aladdin Biometer.

Professor Gerd Auffarth, Medical Director, University Eye Clinic Heidelberg believes that LENSAR’s integration of preoperative diagnostics represents innovation in the femtosecond cataract procedure that will result in improved surgical efficiency and outcome for patients. He further adds that the ability to automate aspects of the procedure addressing astigmatism, including iris registration, arcuate incision planning and steep axis corneal marking, is valuable in delivering the refractive results patients expect from laser cataract surgery.

Additionally, surgeons have access to an arcuate incision planning table on the laser that includes parameters to define the location, depth and extent of the surgeon’s intended arcuate incisions based on individual patient biometric measurements and other factors defined by the surgeon. The arcuate incision planning capability allows surgeons to retain their plan preferences for later use, increasing surgical operating room efficiency. Exclusive to LENSAR and also included in the Streamline upgrade is a steep axis corneal marking function, providing non-refractive landmarks to support the surgeon’s management of astigmatism.

The Streamline upgrades also introduce integrated cataract density imaging, which automatically categorizes the cataract to a pre-programmed, surgeon-customized fragmentation pattern depending upon the density of the cataract and allows the surgeon to automatically isolate fragmentation to the nucleus. This is slated to have a positive impact on efficiency and procedure time.

Dr. Detlef Holland, Medical Director, Nordblick Eye Clinic Bellevue said that incorporating the surgeon preferences for fragmentation patterns and energy levels based upon automated cataract density analysis helps ensure safe and efficient cataract removal. While laser fragmentation is a hallmark of the femtosecond cataract procedure, the LENSAR Laser System’s unique preprogramming capabilities will directly benefit both patient comfort during the procedure and the visual outcomes achieved by the procedure.

As the EU distributor for LENSAR, Topcon Europe Medical B.V. will manage in-market rollout of the LENSAR Laser System with Streamline. Streamline upgrades, including arcuate incision planning, steep axis corneal marking, cataract density imaging and customized fragmentation patterns, will be made available to all LENSAR users. Practices currently using the LENSAR Laser System and the Cassini Corneal Shape Analyzer, and eventually other topographers, will have access to the full Streamline technology suite including wireless integration and iris registration.