AMETEK Reichert and SBM Sistemi announce US partnership for ocular surface, dry eye technology

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

Reichert Technologies, a business of AMETEK Inc, announced an exclusive partnership with SBM Sistemi of Italy to distribute SBM’s imaging and dry eye assessment and treatment devices in the United States.

According to the companies, this range of devices on the horizon will include a family of ocular surface assessment technologies.

"The collaboration with Reichert is something we have wanted to achieve for a long time, and we are proud that it has come to fruition. We believe the experience of the Reichert team is the best way to bring the SBM product line to the US market,” Michele Barberis, SBM Sistemi president and founder, said in a statement.

In a news release, the company noted the usual methods of diagnosing dry eye disease (DED), such as Schirmer strips and staining, can be invasive, uncomfortable for patients, time-consuming, and cumbersome for staff to administer. It also is key to diagnose the specific type of DED affecting patients, which is essential to optimizing treatment approaches.

According to the news release, the Reichert-SBM IDRA system supports dry eye diagnosis. IDRA evaluates all the tear film layers (Lipid, Aqueous, and Mucin) and the Meibomian Glands, to identify specific type of DED and provide personalized treatment recommendations relative to the patient’s needs. The IDRA and OS1000 ocular surface evaluation devices were uniquely designed for quick, painless, and non-invasive assessment of DED, providing accurate, reproducible and objective results.

(Image courtesy of AMTEK Reichert)

The companies noted the Reichert-SBM OS1000 is an integrated diagnostic platform that combines a corneal topographer with DED assessment giving eye care professionals the ability to perform various DED and topography tests all with one device, increasing operational efficiency and minimizing capital expense for practices. The Reichert-SBM DEM100-DSLC200 is an anterior imaging camera system compatible with a wide range of slit lamps and is available with comprehensive DED assessment.

Moreover, the companies noted the products include patient and data management software that enables eye care professionals to review images and provide diagnoses instantaneously to their patients. Customized treatment recommendations, created by a unique algorithm, are also provided to the user.

The Reichert-SBM ACTIVA, a non-invasive device used in-office, can relieve symptoms caused by the meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and associated evaporative dry eye with controlled heating and micro-vibrations that stimulate the meibomian glands, increasing their functionality to provide significant and lasting symptom relief.

“The partnership with SBM Sistemi of Italy is a perfect fit for Reichert and will provide eye care practitioners and patients with unparalleled functionality and flexibility for managing dry eye disease,” Ian Lee-Bennett, Reichert Technologies Division vice president and business unit manager, said in the news release. “This comprehensive family of dry eye assessment and treatment devices expands our world-leading portfolio and builds upon our wide range of trusted devices such as Phoroptor, Tono-Pen, and Ocular Response Analyzer.”