ARVO 2023: ViaLase's FLigHT for non-incisional glaucoma treatment

Eric Mikula, PhD, from ViaLase sat down with David Hutton, Managing Editor, Ophthalmology Times®, to discuss the company's femtosecond laser image-guided high-precision trabeculectomy, FLigHT, for non-incisional glaucoma treatment at this year's ARVO meeting.

Video transcript

Editor’s note: This transcript has been edited for clarity.

David Hutton:

I'm David Hutton of Ophthalmology Times. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology recently held its annual meeting in New Orleans. I'm joined today by Eric Mikula of ViaLase to discuss scientific research the company presented ARVO, thank you so much for joining us today. Tell us a little bit about the research.

Eric Mikula, PhD:

Thank you, David. First, I would like to thank Ophthalmology Times for inviting me to briefly speak on behalf of the extraordinary team at ViaLase and it's truly exciting technology. ViaLase has developed a novel non-incisional glaucoma treatment, called femtosecond laser image-guided high-precision trabeculectomy, or FLigHT, for short.

As you mentioned, I'm here at New Orleans, ARVO 2023, where we presented the data for our FLigHT thermal collateral damage study. So briefly, we performed the FLigHT procedure in corneal scleral rooms mounted to an artificial anterior chamber.

Afterwards, tissue samples were fixed, sectioned, and then imaged using second harmonic generation imaging, histology and transmission electron microscopy. The imaging revealed unperturbed, intact collagen fibers and the presence of Schlemm's canal endothelial cells in the immediate vicinity of the FLigHT channel. More broadly, the outer wall Schlemm's canal was intact. Next, we directly measure temperature rise during the FLigHT procedure and cadaver tissues and measure the maximum temperature rise of 3.1 degrees Celsius.

So these findings add to the growing body of evidence gathered over the last 20 years, demonstrating the safety of the femtosecond laser in the anterior segment. Also, these results provide strong evidence demonstrating the dearth of collateral damage during flight with ViaLase.

David Hutton:

Ultimately, what can this mean for ophthalmologists in the patients they treat?

Eric Mikula, PhD:

So ultimately, this provides evidence that we have a new safe procedure to treat glaucoma. And what's most important is to demonstrate safety in two regards that there's no thermal collateral damage, but also the procedure is non-incisional. So it's truly non-invasive.

David Hutton:

What's the next step for your research?

Eric Mikula, PhD:

So the next step for the research would be primarily clinical. So to demonstrate the efficacy and safety in the population.