New technology helps test early for lazy eye

WITH the eye on stopping the development of amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, when children are still young and corrective measures can be put in place, speakers from plusoptiX visited the Ear and Eye Clinic to speak to concerned doctors and related parties.

Amblyopia is a widely occurring condition affecting the eyes of a large group of the population. According to Dr. Rob Daniel, who has a vast experience in the workings of the eyes and how it is interpreted by the brain, the age of three is a critical time in the treatment of amblyopia.

Before this age the lens of the eye is still soft and the muscles strong, which allows preventative measures to be put in place to prevent lazy eye from forming.

René Regnat, the vice president of plusoptiX, indicated the value of their new technology that simplifies the process of examining the eyes, by using a handheld, infrared device that takes a reading in seconds.

This, he said, is extremely valuable as it is hard to have young children focus long enough for traditional testing methods to be effective.

The system is also valuable for people that aren’t specialised optometrists as it suggests whether a patient should be referred for further testing.