ESW's Tearstim

Designed to fuel an optometry or ophthalmology practice’s dry eye offering, French-based ESW Vision’s Tearcheck and Tearstim compact diagnostic and treatment options were on show for the first time in New Zealand on Ophthalmic Instrument Company’s (OIC’s) stand.

Both are portable and have a very small footprint, making them ideal for multiple-practice use, said OIC’s managing director Tim Way. “The Tearcheck is a fully functional standalone device that is designed specifically for dry eye analysis. Performing nine examinations in under 10 minutes, with a quick and easy user interface, an eyecare practitioner or technician can offer quick tear film tests to help drive a practice’s dry eye service.”

Tearcheck’s intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment partner Tearstim, meanwhile, has been specifically designed to treat red, irritated and dry eyes to improve vision comfort, said Way. Treatments take a few minutes and the effects last from two to three weeks to six to eight months depending on the number of treatments a patient has. “By treating the meibomian glands, the dry lipid layer receives a natural boost of lipids, which reduces the evaporation of tear fluid and prevents the eye from drying out… glandular secretions are improved and the tear film’s lipid layer is stabilised.”