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NEWS RELEASE
Press Contact: Tom Cockley
New Product News from Gulden Ophthalmics
Gulden’s New
Automated Confrontation Visual Field Tester (ACV) Provides Rapid, Inexpensive
Confrontation Testing– More Sensitive & Accurate Than Finger Confrontation
Gulden Ophthalmics releases another time-saving, utilitarian tool for eye
care professionals.
ELKINS PARK, PA – The Automated Confrontation Visual Field Tester (ACV)
from Gulden Ophthalmics is an automated LED gross confrontational visual field
tester. It is cost effective, easy to use, fast (both eyes can be tested in
less than a minute). The ACV is more accurate and sensitive than using finger
confrontation methods.
The AVC was developed by Jeffrey Cooper, MS, OD, FAAO, Clinical Professor,
SUNY State College of Optometry; evaluated and standardized by Sherry J. Bass,
MS, OD, FAAO, Distinguished Teaching Professor, SUNY State College of Optometry."
The ACV instrument is a compact, black, rectangular instrument with a 1.0-mm
red light-emitting diode (LED) at each of its four corners and a fixation
hole at the center. The device presents automated, randomized patterns of
lit LEDs and the patient is asked to identify the number of lights seen. The
eye care professional views the tested eye though the device to ensure fixation
on the center and is able to validate the patient’s response with the
four indicators on the rear panel while the patient identifies the presentations
of the random LED pattern on the front.
Determination of visual field loss is an important part of a comprehensive
eye examination. However, routine threshold or screening visual fields, are
time consuming, and have not been shown to be cost effective because of their
relatively low detection rate. On the other hand, gross confrontation visual
field testing is rapid and inexpensive to perform and is considered an essential
part of a comprehensive eye examination. Unfortunately, gross confrontation
visual field testing has not been standardized. Clinicians tend to vary targets
or testing techniques; targets are typically not uniform and may include fingers
(either stationary or oscillating), the palms of the hand, the examiner’s
face, or illuminated white or colored stimuli.
Gulden’s ACV is cost effective and simple to use, and requires very
little training or experience. Because it is automated and consistent, examiner
variability is not as much of an issue as it is with finger counting or finger
oscillation confrontation visual field testing.
A controlled study that examined visual field testing methods at SUNY State
College of Optometry indicated that the device has a greater sensitivity and
is more accurate in the detection of moderate visual field loss than finger
counting confrontation visual field tests. The study reported that screening
with the ACV uncovered visual field loss by being able to detect smaller scotomas,
which were missed in patients tested with finger counting confrontation. The
study noted that other studies, which have utilized small red objects such
as the LEDs used in the ACV, are more sensitive for the detection of both
neurologic and glaucomatous field loss than finger or hand methods.
The ACV tester consists of a black unit measuring 12 cm by 17 cm. Four 1.0-mm
red LEDs are positioned 11.25 cm apart, which results in an angular separation
of 15° when the device is 60 cm from the patient. The tester is powered
by an easily obtainable, 2 standard AA batteries.
Reference: Bass, SJ, Cooper J, Feldman J, Horn D. Comparison of an automated
confrontation-testing device vs. finger counting in the detection of field
loss. Optometry 2007 78(8): 390-95.
For more information, contact Gulden Ophthalmics, 225 Cadwalader Avenue,
Elkins Park, PA 19027-2020 Tel 215-884-8105 Fax 215-884-0418
www.guldenophthalmics.com email:
info@guldenophthalmics.com
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