Drs. Alexander M. Eaton and Hussein Wafapoor of Retina Health Center have collaborated with Dr. Robert Avery of California Retina Consultants, and former Alcon employees Dave Booth and Dyson Hickingbotham on the development of a new investigational device designed to improve the safety and comfort of patients during intravitreal injections. Eaton will present on the team’s development of the device at the annual meeting of the America Society of Retina Specialists in Las Vegas Aug. 25-29, and at the Euretina conference on Sept. 7 in Milan, Italy. To register or for more information on the conferences, visit http://www.asrs.org/annual-meeting and http://www.euretina.org/milan2012/registration/default.asp.
The investigational device incorporates a small gauge needle covered by a thin protective sleeve designed to protect the needle from contamination risks before and during the injection such as aerosolized saliva droplets from speech or breathing, as well as from the eyelashes or other external contaminants.
Clinical trials of the investigational device are to begin at the Retina Health Center within the next few days. The team’s initial study will evaluate if the device is faster and/or more comfortable than existing techniques that use a lid speculum.
This is the first of a number of products being developed by I-Tech JV Development Company which address issues with intravitreal injections to reach clinical trial. By combining a team of retinal thought leaders and experienced device designers, the I-Tech JV Development Company is able to rapidly assess and develop products to meet evolving retina needs.
For more information on the latest studies or to make an appointment, call 239-337-3337 in Fort Myers or 239-793-5200 in Naples.