New data presented during the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) 2025 annual meeting supports the clinical use of Rinsada’s irrigating eyelid retractor for targeting ocular surface disease (OSD).
And among several scientific presentations is a case study involving the medical device in managing allergic conjunctivitis.
Let’s back up a moment and talk about Rinsada.
We’ll start with the company.
The Wildwood, Pennsylvania-headquartered medical device company is known for its namesake product, developed by retinal specialist Srini Kondapalli, MD.
Click here to hear from Dr. Kondapalli himself as he discusses why Rinsada is a game-changer for clinicians and OSD patients.
And the device itself?
The FDA-cleared Class I sterile medical device is a first-of-its-kind irrigating lid retractor designed to reset the ocular tear film by irrigating the entire ocular surface—palpebral conjunctiva and fornix included—with just one use.
Specifically: Rinsada enables clinicians to thoroughly flush the ocular surface and remove what standard irrigation cannot, including:
- Biofilm
- Allergens
- Debris
- Toxins
Explain how this process works, exactly.
The patent-designed device uses high-pressure saline to target deep beneath the eyelid via the Luer Lock medical syringe. It utilizes a standard 10-cc of saline for the superior eyelid and 5 cc for the inferior eyelid. .
And as we’ve previously reported, the resulting effect is reduced inflammatory load and allergens in the target areas—giving patients immediate symptom relief associated with eye irritation.
- Check out the step-by-step breakdown of how this process works.
Now let’s talk clinical data.
To start things off, see here for a rundown on the first clinical data published supporting Rinsada’s application for dry eye disease (DED) patients.
And this brings us to the newest findings being presented at AAO 2025 this week.
- Our topic of discussion: A case presentation detailing Rinsada’s use in removing allergens from antigen presenting cells in the palpebral conjunctiva of an AC patient.
Tell me about this case.
Presented by Shelby Brogdon, OD, of Noh Eyes in Little Rock, Arkansas, this case study involved a 41-year-old female patient who presented with ocular itchiness, redness, pain, and swelling for 3 weeks.
As an initial treatment, the patient topically applied prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension, four times a day (QID) in both eyes (OU) for one week without tapering.
- This resulted in minimal improvements and eventually led to her switching to olopatadine 0.2% ophthalmic solution.
- Other exhibited symptoms included sneezing and rhinorrhea (and she was also scheduled for allergy testing).
And this is where Rinsasda came into play?
Indeed. The patient was treated in-office for ocular lavage (eye flushing) with the irrigating retractor.
Following this, the patient was sent home with instructions to perform the following treatment:
- Topical application of preservative-free (PF) artificial tears, as needed
- Increase usage of olopatadine 0.2% to twice daily (BID)
- Re-initiation of prednisolone to three times daily (TID) with a weekly taper
How long did this at-home treatment last?
Three weeks.
At the follow-up clinic visit, the patient reported “significant improvement with resolution of swelling, pain, and itchiness," while on the prescribed topical therapy, according to Dr. Brogdon.
And upon examination?
Systemic evaluations for the patient’s thyroid dysfunction, inflammation, and autoimmune markers were all found to be “unremarkable,” with
- Reduced conjunctival staining
- Resolved papillae
Let’s talk big picture on allergies for a moment.
As Dr. Brogdon told Glance, allergies are the fifth most common chronic disease in the United States—and clinicians’ current management of AC has relied solely on drops with incomplete control of symptoms.
“By targeting the beginning of the allergic cascade as well as the terminal step with prescription drops, this case illustrates the additive effect that Rinsada can provide (to) all AC patients,” Dr. Brogdon said.
- She added that disease pathology doesn’t necessarily stop at the meibomian glands. “With Rinsada, we are now recognizing and treating the entire ocular surface.”
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) annual meeting is taking place Oct. 8-11, 2025, in Boston, Massachusetts.