Seven months after officially acquiring a groundbreaking direct selective laser trabeculoplasty (DSLT) device, Alcon, Inc. announced the official U.S. commercial launch of the Voyager.
Let’s start with some background on this acquisition.
Back in July 2024, Alcon purchased Israeli glaucoma surgery company BELKIN Vision.
Key to this acquisition: BELKIN’s (then-named) The Eagle—now rebranded as the Voyager.
- Click here for our coverage on this.
Since then, Alcon offered the eyecare community a sneak peek of the DSLT device during this past fall’s 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting.
Got it. Now tell me about the Voyager.
What it is: A Q-switched, 532 nm-wavelength, frequency-doubled, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser device
- Its purpose: To provide a fully automated and non-invasive solution for glaucoma surgery (selective laser trabeculoplasty [SLT])
And significance: The Voyager is the first (and currently only) FDA 510(k)-cleared DSLT laser for glaucoma that delivers laser energy via a non-contact approach through the cornea.
Explain how this works.
Quite simply: The prescription device automatically delivers 120 laser pulses (50 Hz) directly through the limbus to the trabecular meshwork (TM) to improve aqueous outflow and reduce intraocular pressure (IOP).
- Importantly: This is done without the use of a goniscopy lens or slit lamp—and controlled by an intuitive touchscreen.
All the while: A unique SureTrac eye-tracking technology positioned on the device compensates for any eye movement during the procedure, stimulating the eye’s natural healing (to enable that aforementioned improved aqueous outflow).
- Click here for safety information on the product.
Let’s talk supporting clinical data.
There’s a couple notable trials to highlight.
Research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology—supporting the device’s 2023 FDA clearance—demonstrated positive findings from the GLAUrious study conducted 2018 to 2022.
About that study: The DSLT device was evaluated for its efficacy compared to standard SLT for IOP reduction among patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT) over a 12-month study period.
The 6-month findings: The DLST device provided a mean IOP reduction of unmedicated IOP of 5.46 ± 0.51 mmHg (95% Confidence interval [CI] -6.48 to -4.45)
- Compare this to the SLT group: 6.16 ± 0.53 mmHg (95% CI -7.21 to -5.11)
And the 12-month findings?
The mean IOP change from screening for the DSLT device group was 3.2 ± 0.4 mmHg (95% CI -4.0 to -2.5)
- Compared to the SLT group: 6.2 ± 0.4 mm Hg (95% CI -4.0 to -2.4)
Overall: A decreased medication burden was observed at the 12-month point, with a reported:
- 62% of all DSLT patients medication-free
- 70% of DSLT patients who started the study medication-free remained so
- 81% of DSLT patients on the same or fewer medications as the before the study
How about adverse events?
There were no ocular serious adverse events (AE) observed as a result of the DSLT device procedure—along with:
- 1% rate of secondary surgical intervention for IOP control at the 12-month mark
- 6.1% rate of non-serious AEs at > 6 months
See here for additional supporting clinical research on the device.
Definitely sounds like an effective treatment for OAG.
Indeed. In fact, SLT has has also received recognition as an effective first-line treatment for OAG and OHT from major medical societies across the globe, including:
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- European Glaucoma Society
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Plus, see here for both patient and physician feedback on the device.
Nice! So where can I find this?
The Voyager DSLT will be available to demo and purchase at the 2025 American Glaucoma Society (AGS) annual meeting (Feb. 26-March 2) in Washington, D.C.—just stop by the Alcon booth (#29-32).
Otherwise, get in touch with the company.