BLOG: MicroPulse® technology with Sweep software and revised MicroPulse P3 probe help provide more effective glaucoma treatments

The Iridex Cyclo G6® Glaucoma Laser System and revised MicroPulse P3® Probe. (Image provided by Elaine Ye Wang)

Since I have written about the clinical benefits of MicroPulse® transscleral laser therapy (TLT), I would like to discuss how the revised MicroPulse P3® Probe (Iridex) and recent Sweep software release to the Cyclo G6® Laser (Iridex) have made performing the treatment easier and more consistent compared to my experiences using the original MicroPulse P3 Probe and Cyclo G6 software.

Improved Ergonomic Design

The revised MicroPulse P3 Probe has been ergonomically redesigned, making it a better fit for the patient’s eye and the doctor’s hand. The probe footplate now has a scleral-matching curvature and recessed fiber tip (opposed to the original convex-shaped footplate and protruding fiber glass ball), which means it is flush and flat on the eye. The increased surface area provides more stability and better orientation for the direction of energy. In my experience, the revised probe makes it easier to maintain pressure and sweep speed, producing consistent energy application. The revised probe has “bunny ears,” which the physician orients towards the limbus to facilitate positioning.

Better Surgical Visibility

The stem of the device is now longer and more slender than the original MicroPulse P3 Probe, which allows for improved visibility of the treatment area. The longer stem makes it easier to treat without a lid speculum and to guide the eye in different directions with a gentler tool, such as a cotton swab, rather than with a larger, sharper pair of forceps that could potentially cause trauma to the eye. Additionally, the footplate’s reduced size makes it easier to treat smaller eyes with tighter fissures.

Increased Reach

I found the shape of this probe better designed to reach more regions of the eye from various angles. The convex-shaped tip of the previous probe required frequent hand manipulation to achieve good contact with the globe. Now that the probe just naturally hugs the globe, there is a lot less force and contortion necessary, and my hand doesn’t become as tired and cramped as it used to be.

There is another advantage that is very relevant for me, the probe is less bulky overall, which makes it easier for more petite surgeons with smaller hands to manipulate.

User-Friendly Software Interface

In my experience, the MicroPulse TLT procedure is easier when using the sweep management software in the Cyclo G6 laser. The software is very user friendly when setting the power, the number of sweeps, and the sweep duration. Together, these three factors determine total treatment energy. Up to ten treatment settings can be saved in the laser system, making laser setup faster. When I want to modify total treatment energy, I can either modify the power setting, or increase or reduce the duration of each sweep.

Ensuring Consistency

Since changes in sweep velocity affect dosage, it is important to keep the velocity consistent during each sweep. The software includes audio tones to maintain a steady sweep velocity to enhance treatment technique and laser application. As a sweep progresses, a ticking sound marks the seconds that pass. Also, there is a single tone when half the sweep time has passed and a double tone when one sweep ends and the next begins.

I have found that using the revised MicroPulse P3 Probe and the sweep management software of the Cyclo G6 laser, it is even easier to provide consistent, reproducible treatments for my glaucoma patients.