TLCVision to incorporate TearLab Osmolarity System to study DED in refractive surgery centers

Mar 11 2010

OccuLogix, Inc., dba TearLab Corporation ("TearLab") (Nasdaq:TEAR) (TSX:TLB), announced today that TLCVision Corporation, North America's premier eye care services company, will be incorporating the TearLab™ Osmolarity System ("TearLab System") in eight of its U.S. refractive surgery centers to study Dry Eye Disease ("DED") symptoms as they relate to LASIK surgery.

The TearLab System is intended to measure the osmolarity of human tears to aid in the diagnosis of DED in conjunction with other methods of clinical evaluation. Using a novel lab-on-a-chip approach, the TearLab System requires less than 50 nL (nanoliters) of tear fluid and displays quantitative osmolarity results in less than 30 seconds. By requiring such a small amount of tears, the TearLab System eliminates the challenges that previously prevented point-of-care osmolarity testing. In addition, it is simple enough to be operated by a technician, greatly improving patient throughput either an office or center setting.

In keeping with its ongoing commitment to provide the best possible outcomes and the highest levels of care for patients, TLCVision will be using the TearLab System to study both pre- and post-operative tear osmolarity levels and treatments with the goal of improving outcomes and reducing post-operative DED symptoms.

Michael A. Lemp, MD, TearLab's chief medical officer, commented, "Tear hyper-osmolarity is a core mechanism in DED causing damage to the ocular surface and tear osmolarity is a reliable, highly sensitive and specific test for the clinical diagnosis of this disease and a great tool for doctors and a major benefit to patients."

James B. Tiffany, President and Chief Operating Officer of TLCVision, commented, "TLCVision's ongoing commitment to clinical services, quality assurance and patient outcomes are unparalleled as the industry leader. We believe that the incorporation of the TearLab System has the potential to improve patient screening, counseling and most significantly the quality of surgical outcome.