German medical company Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ISIN: DE 0005313704) reported on Thursday the receipt of the US FDA's 510(k) clearance for the CIRRUS HD-OCT platform, expanding the capabilities of its Anterior Segment Premier Module to include Epithelial Thickness Mapping (ETM).

The epithelium is the outermost layer of the cornea and is known to actively remodel itself in response to subtle changes in corneal shape due to pathologies including early keratoconus that may be missed if using corneal topography alone, according to refractive specialist Dr John Doane of Discover Vision Center in Kansas City.

Additionally, the launch of the company' ETM with CIRRUS provides a detailed nine-millimeter map of epithelial thickness that enables more thorough assessment of patients before refractive surgery, allows monitoring of the cornea's response to treatment as well as aids in managing patients with dry eye and progressive corneal diseases and keratoconus.

With the availability of ETM, the patients can expect a quick, comfortable non-contact exam that takes less than one second, stated the company.

Effective 21- 24 March 2019, the company will present the new ETM feature in the latest CIRRUS Software release, along with other flagship products in Booth LP4003 at the Vision Expo East in New York.