Eversight Illinois Vision Spring 2017 SpringVision_IL_19Apr17_FNL | Page 10

INNOVATION ­
“We have to continue evolving and improving our treatments
and can never stop at what we have.”
Dr. Shahzad Mian, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center corneal surgeon and Eversight Medical Director
Dr. Mian’s words couldn’t ring more true. What we know today about treating blindness was made possible by the people before
us who believed there was a better way. At the core of our mission, Eversight is dedicated to advancing new treatments through
technology, partnerships and clinical practices that will make sight restoration better than ever before.
Changing climate
Excellence in action
Eversight provides tissue for more than 2,500 transplant
patients outside the United States every year, and with each
delivery there are many logistical challenges to overcome,
particularly climate. International shipments are often exposed
to extreme temperature fluctuations, from near-zero conditions
in the United States to desert regions like Abu Dhabi where
the temperature can average nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. But
during this long journey, the packaging must maintain a stable
internal environment to keep the tissue safe. Two years of hard work paid off for Lauren Johnson, Eversight
Tissue Processing Services Manager, and Dr. Parag Majmudar of
Chicago Cornea Consultants, after investigating parameters
affecting endothelial cell health for a tissue-staining procedure
popular with both surgeons and eye banks.
One tiny device, called an electronic
data logger, is changing the way
Eversight delivers tissue abroad. The
logger, no larger than a USB drive, is
placed inside the tissue cooler and
collects temperature data throughout the shipping process.
Once the package arrives at its destination, a surgeon can view
the recorded data and verify safe shipping conditions. The cornea is vulnerable to damage if the dye is applied too long,
especially for procedures like DMEK in which the tissue is no thicker
than a human hair. If not dyed long enough, surgeons may have
difficulty positioning the tissue properly. Both factors can increase
the incidence of transplant complications and even rejection.
Early results from the device led Eversight to adopt new
packaging that can maintain a constant internal temperature
for 72 hours in any climate—an important factor when sending
tissue thousands of miles around the globe.
“The data logger has been an incredible tool for
upholding the highest standards in safety and quality
of the tissue we provide for transplants,” said
Erik Hellier, Director of International Clinical Services.
“Technology like this aids us in giving sight to anyone
in the world.”
Using grant funding provided by the Eye Bank Association of
America, the pair discovered the optimal time to stain the
cornea with trypan blue dye, a process commonly used to help
surgeons visualize tissue during surgery.
“Finding the right balance to satisfy surgeon needs
duri