A newly developed video-meibography system featuring a newly designed probe

Purpose: To demonstrate the usefulness of a video-meibography system featuring our newly designed probe.

Methods: This study utilized a newly designed probe featuring an obliquely inclined, T-shaped head containing 16 windows in the portion of the probe applied for emitting infrared light. The transilluminated structure of the meibomian gland is conducted to a highly sensitive, infrared charge-coupled device video camera and recorded digitally. The utility of the new probe was compared with the intraocular illumination probe traditionally used for meibography, both being applied to the eyelids of ten healthy volunteers and ten patients with meibomian gland dysfunction. The results were then analyzed.

Results: The newly designed probe facilitated eyelid eversion and transilluminated the meibomian gland structure effectively. Moreover, subjects experienced no irritation and only limited invasiveness when the new probe was applied.

Conclusions: Our meibography system featuring the newly designed probe provided greater ease of use, an improved visualization of the meibomian gland structure, and increased comfort for patients during the examination.