At Vision Expo East this weekend, Virtual Vision Health (VVH) is showcasing new testing features for a virtual reality (VR) visual field (VF) headset: the Virtual Eye Pro.
Company refresh, please.
Based in Miami, Florida, the medical equipment manufacturing company was founded in 2020 with a focus on providing VR-VF technology for standard VFs, ptosis VFs, and telehealth testing.
And this headset?
The FDA-registered Virtual Eye device was developed and validated at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
It incorporates cloud-based technology designed to carry out standard-of-care VF testing—all without the typical constraints associated with standard automated perimetry (SAP) tests.
The portable device also provides audio instructions (replacing the need for clinical staff monitoring) and the ability to test patients in any location.
Give me some basic capabilities.
Per the company, the device comes with:
- 265-bit encryption
- Secures patient records for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) and Business Associate Agreement compliance.
- Cloud-based software
- Conducts/reviews tests anywhere with Wi-Fi connection
- Accessible via computer, tablet, or mobile device
- EMR compatibility
- Printable and downloadable exam records/VF reports can be saved on almost any electronic medical record (EMR) system
- Sanitization
- Material of synthetic leather facial cushion can be quickly disinfected between patients
And these new testing features?
Available on the Virtual Eye Pro device (an upgraded version of the standard Virtual Eye), the newest additions include:
- Live eye monitoring
- Eight Tobii infrared cameras + lights for tracking eye gaze and improving exam reliability
- Alerts patients if their gaze is not fixated on a focal point
- Streaming and pupillography
- Enables pupillometry and improved ptosis/dermatochalasis testing
Does the device adjust for patient error?
Yes! VVH notes that, just like with regular SAP systems, the headset “tracks fixation losses, false positives, and false negatives, allowing you to see how accurately the patient followed the instructions.”
What about tracking for disease progression?
In glaucoma patients, progression reports are available for VF loss.
Are these VRVF exams insurance billable?
Indeed they are. Per the company, the exact same Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes associated with SAP tests can also be used for these tests:
Nice! Any clinical data on its efficacy?
Oh yes … among the findings were the device demonstrating a mean sensitivity similar to SAP (p<0.0001) for accurate assessment of VF as well as experiencing 26% shorter test times (on average) compared to SAP.
Click here for a rundown of peer-reviewed research supporting the VR-based device for VF testing.
So where can I see this device in action?
VVH is on-site at Vision Expo East this weekend, so stop by stand #PAN2869 in the Exhibit Hall.
See here for more Vision Expo East coverage.
Vision Expo East is being held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York, from March 14-17, 2024.