Navilas is a new retinal navigation system from a German company OD-OS which got approval from the FDA in November 2009. It allows for laser treatment of the eye without a lens. The machine allows the doctor to create a treatment pattern on a screen. The machine then uses that as an overlay on real-time images and, using eye-tracking, fires the laser at exactly the spots the doctor indicated. The doctor can also pinpoint “no-treatment” areas. Because of the eye-tracking, once can treat very close to the FAZ without fear. The doctor titrates the power intensity of the laser.

At the second annual Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) that took place in Chicago on October 14, 2010, OD-OS CEO Winfried Tiewes identified these advantages of Navilas over standardized laser therapy:

• Higher accuracy, through better targeting and laser guidance
• More comfort for both the patient and physician, as a result of ergonomic design and touch screen
• Convenience for the doctor and because of infrared light and no need for contact glass for the patient
• Increased safety arising as a result of a larger field of vision
• Transparency, through therapy documentation of fundus images
• More speed through faster execution and shorter treatment times

Only drawback is that Navilas is so expensive ($120,000)- at today’s fees, vast majority of doctors cannot afford it. Perhaps it can be considered a non-covered service and allow patients to pay out-of-pocket, like for a toric IOL?