Lions Club International and Massachusetts Lions Fund
New Technology at New England Eye Center
New, Cutting-Edge Devices Well Employed
at New England Eye Center
BOSTON, MA (Sept. 15, 2008) - New England Eye Center, while often at the forefront of worldwide research, owes a big nod to both the Lions Club International Fund and the Massachusetts Lions. Two cutting-edge imaging devices purchased in late 2007 with grants from the Lions organizations are being used in major research projects as well as evaluation and treatment of children with serious eye complications.
With a $50,000 grand from Lions Club International Fund, matched by the Massachusetts Lions, the New England Eye Center purchased both a RetCam and an Electro-Retinogram (ERG) machine.
RetCam
The RetCam II is a hand-held, wide field, contact fundus camera that is used primarily in evaluation of pediatric disorders. It is the first device to provide bedside pediatric retinal imaging with full-resolution image selection from real-time digital video. Its field of view is 120 degrees – more than quadruple the view of traditional cameras. At least, 10 physicians are using the RetCam, and at least 700 patients will be examined with this device and benefit from its use each year.
The RetCam is used most often to evaluate Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a potentially blinding disorder of the retina that primarily afflicts babies born prematurely (about 12% of all births in the U.S.). Each year in the US, about 80,000 (or 16% of the half-million) preterm infants suffer ROP.
It also is used in the treatment of a pediatric eye cancer known as retinoblastoma. The RetCam has become the gold standard for imaging the multifocal nature of this disease. Retinal photographs are captured while the child is under anesthesia, immediate comparisons are made at the bedside as to whether tumor sizes have changed or new tumors have appeared, and treatment decisions are made. Images can be shown immediately after the procedure to the parents to facilitate their understanding of the disease.
The RetCam has been helpful in education within Neonatal units. The RetCam imaging, along with the transmission of images through the World Wide Web, has enabled ophthalmologists to communicate with each other to discuss difficult cases, as well as collaborate in research trials to advance the understanding of the disease. It also has been used in diagnosis and treatment of shaken baby syndrome.
Electro-Retinogram (ERG)
The electro-retinogram (ERG) equipment is being used to develop genetic therapies for retinal degeneration, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Collectively, AMD and RP are amongst the most common causes of blindness in the elderly and in the working population, respectively, in the United States.
Retinitis pigmentosa affects approximately 100,000 people in the U.S., and 1.5 million worldwide. NEEC sees approximately 150 patients with RP each year.
The ERG is housed at Tufts University School of Medicine, adjacent to the research lab of Dr. Kumar-Singh, one of the major users and Director of the ERG facility. It is used extensively by the researchers of Tufts Center for Vision Research (TCVR) which includes some 30 faculty members.
The ERG enables accurate measurement of the status of disease in patients, and their responsiveness to any therapies developed for RP and AMD. The ERG equipment is central in a multi-pronged approach to measure levels of success as a variety of therapies are tested in animal models and patients.
New England Eye Center
The New England Eye Center is the Ophthalmology Department at Tufts Medical Center, a major academic and tertiary referral medical center, seeing approximately 85,000 patient visits per year and providing the highest quality tertiary ophthalmic services with referrals from all over the world. During the last three years alone, New England Eye Center physicians have led or participated in approximately 30 clinical trials and currently more than a dozen clinical trials are underway. For more information about the New England Eye Center, go to www.neec.com.
Lions Club
Lions are an international network of 1.3 million men and women in 202 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.
Known for working to end preventable blindness, Lions participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities. These projects range from cleaning up local parks to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters.
Beginning in 1917, the association of Lions Clubs has provided millions of people with the opportunity to give something back to their communities. For more information about the Lions Club, go to www.lionsclubs.org.
Contact:
William R. Sacco
New England Eye Center
617-636-1055
wsacco@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
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