Avantix technology shows promise, researcher says

NAGOYA, Japan — With a new phacoemulsifier, emulsification can be performed through a 1-mm capsulotomy, ensuring minimal damage to the corneal endothelium during phaco.

Here at the Third Annual Ocular Surgery News Symposium, Richard Kratz, MD, spoke about the work he's done developing the Avantix Endocapsular Vortex Emulsification System (Bausch & Lomb).

The handpiece is inserted through the capsulotomy and the impeller is able to emulsify and remove the cataract from inside the capsule.

While rotary impellar technology similar to the Avantix's has been tried in the past, it has never been tried at 70,000 to 150,00 rpm, which is what allows Avantix to be successful, Dr. Kratz said.

“In the vortex emulsification, the capsule remains almost still, and there’s essentially no stress on the zonules,” Dr. Kratz said. “We hope at one point to be able to refill the bag since there’s only a 1-mm capsulotomy.”

The Avantix system also has been shown to create little heat either inside the anterior chamber or at the point of entry. In thermal studies conducted by Dr. Kratz, comparing ultrasound emulsification with the Avantix, widely varying temperatures were found.

“Starting at 70° F, we found at 2 minutes the temperature with Avantix had risen less than 2° F, where it had risen 12° F in the phacoemulsification study,” Dr. Kratz said.

Dr. Kratz said he hopes to begin FDA trials in the near future for the Avantix system.