Our team, certified by different national and international practitioner institutions, such as the universities of Wisconsin, Vienna, “Salus” in Pennsylvania or the “Reading Center” in New York, undertakes specific training with these instruments in order to offer quality diagnoses.
ANTERIOR SEGMENT
It uses different models of OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph), the latest scanners which create high-quality images from the anterior segment. As an example, we could mention the Visante OCT and the CASIA.
Moreover, at the Institute virtually all high-precision corneal topographs on the market are used (SIRIUS, PENTACAM, ORBSCAN), allowing Topographical Maps of the Cornea to be generated and the diagnosis of complaints such as Keratoconus.
The Specular Microscope also proves to be of great value to our daily practise (it carries out a count of endothelial cells of the cornea in order to display its morphology and quantity, since it can be distorted by the complaint and the Confocal (it enables a “live” Biopsy of the different layers of the cornea), as well as the Esthesiometer, which measures corneal sensitivity.
Another instrument is the Ultrasonic Biomicroscope which is based on the use of high-frequency ultrasounds in order to study and obtain images from the Anterior Segment, and specifically from difficult structures (cornea, iris, etc.) or those (behind the iris) that are impossible to observe with conventional exploratory methods.
In order to assess the strength of the lense that must be placed on the eye during refractive lens surgery, the Institute has Biometers that obtain the eye´s Axial Length and Kieratometers, which measure the Corneal Radius. The characteristics that the lense to be implanted must possess are determined by the data obtained from these devices.
Furthermore, the Institute has two models of Femtosecond Laser, the LenSx that is applied in some cataract surgery, making them safer and more precise, and the Intralase that is used in Refractive Surgery for the cornea. For this last type of operations, the IOFV also uses Excimer Lasers.
Moreover, IOFV uses the YAG laser, which enables Iridotomies and Capsulotomies, and the ARGON, which is used to treat diabetic retinopathy.
We should mention that to measure the osmolarity of the tear produced by the eye, at the Institute we use Tear Lab, a personalised and disposable device which evaluates the tear quality through a biochemical process.
POSTERIOR SEGMENT
The Institute has various high-resolution Optical Coherence Tomographical Devices with Spectral Domain technology (SD) such as the Cirrus HD OCT and the TOPCON 3D OCT-2000, which are used to obtain Transversal and Axial Cuts in 3D from posterior structures of the eye. We also have the latest updates, including angio-oct.
In order to study Retinal Vascular Physiopathology, the IOFV has Angiographers who, after injecting certain contrasts (Fluorescein Angiography (AFG) or Green Indocyanine (VIC)), provide very useful information for reaching a diagnosis and prescribing treatment.
The Visual Evoked Potentials (PEV) check connections between the eye and brain and the Electrorretinogram (ERG) and the Electro-oculogram (EOG)verify the functioning of different layers of the retina.
The OQAS (Optical Quality Analysis System), which examines the visual quality of the Optical System in an objective way may also be highlighted. Another of the numerous devices used by the Institute is the HRT (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph), a confocal procedure for analysing the Optic Nerve and the Retina through images.
There are also the classic Retinographs for examining the retina and wide-field retinographs (Optos), which enable us to capture images of virtually the entire retina.
We also have a high number of Campimeters for analysing the visual field, Pupilometers (Photoptic and Scotopic Pupilometry) for measuring the size of the pupil in different light conditions and Pachymeter (Ultrasonic pachymeter) for monitoring corneal thickness.