Demonstrating the PM1 at Moorfields: A Valuable Opportunity to Explore Real-World Clinical Use
- Richard Kadri-Langford
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Yesterday alongside my colleague, Future Leaders Fellow, Alistair Bounds, I headed into London to spend the morning at the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital where I met up with Professor Anthony Khawaja, Professor of Ophthalmology at UCL and one of the UK’s leading glaucoma specialists. (He is also a Future Leaders Fellow).
He kindly invited us to join him in for his Glaucoma Clinic to demonstrate the PM1 Pachymeter and explore how it might support Moorfields’ busy clinical pathways.
My colleague and I just had our corneas measured using the PM1 and then by the conventional portable ultrasound device - I can safely say I know patients will far prefer the PM1. I hadn't appreciated how uncomfortable it was with an ultrasound device!"
For anyone familiar with Moorfields, the scale of activity is remarkable. The glaucoma service sees a very high volume of patients and, like many parts of the NHS, operates under significant pressure. Today was no different. The clinics move quickly, space is limited, and efficiency is essential. It is exactly the sort of environment where tools that are fast, portable and easy to use can make a genuine difference.
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Introducing the PM1 in a high-throughput glaucoma setting
During the visit we demonstrated the PM1 to Professor Khawaja and several colleagues. It was the first time they had handled the device and the initial feedback was encouraging.
They commented on the PM1s sleek design, small footprint, portability, and how it eliminates the need for disposables and probes. But perhaps most importantly they were interested in the non-contact advantages which they think will make it well suited to the workflows within their technician-led clinics.
These advantages are especially important in large screening environments. By allowing pachymetry to be carried out rapidly, without anaesthetic drops and without needing a dedicated measurement station, the PM1 has the potential to support smoother patient flow and reduce bottlenecks in busy clinics.
Having had his first hands on experience of the PM1, Professor Khawaja commented:
"Having an instrument that can measure corneal thickness without eye drops, without eye contact, and handheld with no big device on wheels, is a welcome innovation and I am sure will be appealing in many settings. My colleague and I just had our corneas measured using the PM1 and then by the conventional portable ultrasound device - I can safely say I know patients will far prefer the PM1. I hadn't appreciated how uncomfortable it was with an ultrasound device!"
Reducing unnecessary referrals and improving early detection
We also discussed one of the biggest system-wide challenges in glaucoma care: the high number of avoidable referrals from community optometry due to missing central corneal thickness data.
If pachymetry becomes easier to perform in high-street practices alongside tonometry, there is an opportunity to reduce incorrect referrals to hospital eye services and reduce pressure on already stretched clinics like Moorfields.
Perhaps more importantly, taking pachymetry data in primary care would reduce the risk of false negatives - which leads to patients wih glaucoma not being identified, falling through the system and not getting the treatment they need.
Next steps with Moorfields
The next step is for Professor Khawaja to present and discuss the PM1 with colleagues in Moorfields’ technician-led screening services, through which they see most of their glaucoma patients these days. These clinics are increasingly important for streamlining patient flow, improving access to care, and ensuring the most efficient use of valuable ophthalmologist time. The portability of the PM1 appears well suited to these environments.
Moorfields will now look at practical opportunities to trial the PM1 in these settings, particularly as the current devices used for corneal assessment are large desktop systems that are not always ideal for limited-space, high-throughput and technician led workflows.
We’re excited to work with Moorfields, Professor Khawaja and his colleagues and supporting them carry out their assessments of the PM1 and explore how the device might integrate into their clinical processes.
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