Update on the EC-5000

Laser treatments with the EC-5000 CX III (Nidek) are designed to reduce or eliminate myopia and hyperopia with or without astigmatism and to reshape the cornea for PRK or LASIK, according to company literature.* There are no per-procedure fees associated with use of the EC-5000, and the latest advances in this technology include an innovative scanning device for precise and uniform surface ablation, automatic calculation and continuous monitoring of laser delivery parameters, and a 200-Hz active eye tracker.

FOUR PARTS

The Nidek Advanced Vision Excimer Laser, or Navex Quest, combines Nidek’s fully integrated excimer laser with the OPDScan II refractive power/corneal wavefront analyzer, the OPDStation software, FinalFit software, and the MK-2000 microkeratome. Together, these components provide excellent clinical performance, including a low surgical enhancement rate, according to the company. Additionally, innovative algorithms optimize each treatment and provide excellent surgical outcomes. The laser system includes four parts:

NavFocus. A built-in 1-kHz eye-tracking system provides easy, accurate, and precise alignment and ensures precise laser delivery during the procedure. NavFocus also has torsion error correction to detect and compensate for cyclotorsion, thus improving the correction of cylinder.

NavScan. The function of NavScan is to aid in the creation of a uniform ablated surface and an optimized custom ablation. A slit-scanning ablation profile is created to improve the accuracy of the refractive correction. Additionally, using a multipoint ablation, certain higherorder aberrations can be corrected. This customized ablation simultaneously or individually delivers six equal Gaussian spots (1 mm) onto the cornea for highly precise ablation of small area irregularities.

NavWave. This diagnostic technology ensures that refractive treatments are optimized and precise using measurements from the OPD-Scan II, including refractive error, wavefront, Zernike, internal OPD, and corneal topography. It has the ability to measure high power cylinder and sphere (0.00 to ±12.00 D and -20.00 to 22.00 D, respectively). Additionally, FinalFit software is used to evaluate and convert topography data from the OPD-Scan II to produce customized ablation parameters for the excimer laser.

NavTome. The MK-2000 microkeratome delivers a microsmooth operation with one hand.

ABLATION ALGORITHMS

New ablation algorithms ensure treatment accuracy and good visual outcomes, according to the company. These algorithms include customized aspheric treatment zone (CATz), optimized aspheric treatment zone (OATz), and OPD-guided customized aspheric treatment (OPDCAT). CATz is optimized to reduce corneal irregularities including irregular astigmatism, decentered astigmatism, and central islands. OATz is optimized to eliminate longitudinal spherical aberration (ie, red ring), which, if left untreated, can cause night vision loss, halos, glare, and starbursts. OPDCAT is designed to maintain corneal asphericity by using an aspheric ablation. A wavefront-guided, multipoint ablation is used to reduce total eye aberrations.

* Editor’s Note: This article was compiled using information from Nidek’s brochure, Nidek Adanced Vision Excimer Laser System NAVEX Quest.