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Glaucoma Screening Reaches a New Level

A new app claims to have the ability to use AI to evaluate various OCT scans and therefore make diagnosing and treating glaucoma easier.

The Altris AI platform recently introduced its Advanced Optic Disc Analysis module, which complements its established Ganglion Cell Complex Asymmetry Analysis. According to the company, this innovation enhances glaucoma detection by combining the gold standard of optic disc evaluation with AI-powered precision. The module evaluates various key optic disc parameters, including disc area, cup area, cup volume, and cup-to-disc area ratio, while assigning a severity score for optic disc damage on a scale of one to 10. It claims this approach eliminates the known flawed reliance on normative databases, offering personalized assessments based on individual disc anatomy.

Altris AI

Altris AI says the platform is compatible with various OCT scan protocols, including 3D optic disc scans and raster scans, which enables cross-evaluation across different OCT systems. This integration will allow clinicians to analyze macular and optic disc pathologies, even when the data originate from multiple devices. By further streamlining the glaucoma diagnostic process, this tool could reduce false positives and unnecessary testing and/or medications, thereby addressing a significant challenge in managing and diagnosing glaucoma.

My Two Cents

Picture this: You finish explaining to a patient why you believe they have glaucoma and then, piece by piece, detail your well-thought-out and constructed treatment game plan, only for them to look at you like they don’t trust what you’re saying. Is this whole thing some charade to get big pharma another prescription for generic latanoprost? Well, as someone who has a baby face and looked like a teenager when I graduated from optometry school, the Altris AI’s Advanced Optic Disc Analysis module would be a nice tool to have in my pocket for extra support. It will be exciting to see how an app like this can be ingrained into the eye care community.

OUTSIDE THE LANE

The Astronauts Are Back—and Recovering!

If you’ve been paying attention to the news recently, you’ve undoubtedly heard about NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returning to Earth after a 9-month delay in space.

According to an article from Today, prolonged exposure to microgravity can lead to significant health effects, including muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and fluid redistribution around the body. NASA says that bones become about 1% less dense for each month in space, especially in the legs, hips, and spine, due to the absence of weight-bearing activities.

Of particular interest to those in the eye care field, the fluids in the body shift upward to the head in space, which may put pressure on astronauts’ eyes and cause vision problems, says NASA. This condition is known as spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome. Changes include swelling of the optic nerve, folds in the retina, flattening of the back of the eye, and blurry vision—and some may be permanent.

Quite interestingly, the article describes the unique phenomenon of “baby feet,” whereby the soles of the astronaut’s feet become soft due to the lack of walking in space. Upon returning to Earth, many astronauts experience dizziness, balance issues, and difficulty walking as their bodies readjust to the effects of gravity. Other issues the astronauts may encounter include being more susceptible to infections due to a suppressed immune system while in space; growing 1 to 2 inches taller in space, as their spinal column expands outward without gravity; arterial stiffening, and arterial wall thickening, and heart shape changes; including a more spherical heart in microgravity, making it less effective.

Astronauts can also endure psychological strain, as the isolation and confinement of long duration missions can take a toll on their mental health.

My Two Cents

This article was fascinating to me, and I thought many of you would think so too. I was aware of the eye issues astronauts can experience, but some of the other problems were news to me.

CAN YOU RELATE

After multiple weeks and seemingly endless changes, adjustments, and audibles, we are nearing the end of our most recent renovation at my main office. It’s been a challenging few weeks, as seemingly every day new walls are put up and old walls are taken down, contact lens trials are moved, and team members are trying to get their bearing of precisely what the temporary “flow” of the office should be. Not to mention figuring out where the water cooler will finally be located and whether the staff Keurig machine will still be available each day.

Renovations always bring about challenges and various give-and-takes. That’s why I bring it up this week. Right now, the office has zero “flow.” Patients run around like clueless rodents in a middle schooler rat maze. I used to have a nice room where I could retreat, shut the door, and be “off stage” whenever I wanted. Did I ever use it? No, I didn’t have time, except during lunch, and even then, I preferred to spend that time with team members who I rarely get to interact with during the day. My office was for my diplomas and awards (there aren’t many) and for the shrine I built for my son and puppy. That space would be better suited for patient care and general staff use; everyone, myself included, knew it. So, although I essentially lost my fortress of solitude, I’m sure I can find a few nooks and crannies to hide in during those few minutes each day I’m not getting told by patients that things are still not perfect in their multifocal lenses or that their eyes are still a little dry.