"If you can get a patient excited about treating their amblyopia, it’s a win for everyone,” says Wesley Cox, OD, of Pediatric Ophthalmology, in Erie, Pennsylvania. CureSight, by NovaSight, does just that.

Can You Tell Me More?

CureSight is a digital amblyopia treatment platform approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-ministration for improvement in visual and stereo acuity in amblyopia linked with anisometropia and/or mild strabismus in patients ages 4 to 9, says the company. It is indicated for patients who have a best-corrected visual acuity (VA) of 20/100 or better and strabismus limited to a tropia of 5 or less prism diopters. 

The device is comprised of an eye-tracking-based computer system and corresponding anaglyph red-blue treatment glasses.  It tracks the gaze position of both eyes while the patient watches streamed content on the device’s monitor. NovaSight delivers the baseline and treatment-duration data (recommended 30 hours of treatment per 30-day cycle) to the child’s eyecare provider.

How Does It Work?

CureSight works by blurring the dominant eye’s center of vision and provides the affected eye with a normal sharp image to prompt the patient’s visual system to use the information being delivered by the affected eye.

A follow-up interval is standard for amblyopic patients, every 3 months or 90 days, billed medically, says Carly Kiomall, OD, MPH, FAAO, at Thomas Eye Group, in Roswell, Georgia. Such visits can fall under CPT 92012 for monitoring of an established patient. Additionally, 0706T — remote treatment of amblyopia — can be used for monitoring patient adherence remotely, she says.

Who Are the Ideal Candidates?

The platform is intended for both untreated patients and patients treated for amblyopia before and as an addition to full-time refractive correction. Refractive correction should be worn under the provided glasses during treatment, says NovaSight.

CureSight is contraindicat-ed in patients with a history of light-induced epilepsy and is less recommended for patients who may not have the required attention span, or parents uncomfortable with the screen time duration, points out Dr. Kiomall.

“Visual engagement is what ultimately makes this therapy work,” she stresses.

How Should I Explain It?

Dr. Cox says this is how he introduces the treatment option:

“There is a new amblyopia treatment that uses a smart monitor system and your child’s favorite streaming shows. Called CureSight, it works by removing a puzzle piece from the vision in the good eye and having the brain choose the amblyopic eye to fill in the missing puzzle piece. You rent the treatment option for the duration of the treatment.”

The treatment period is recommended for at least 6 months and may be covered through a commercial payor based on the treatment’s CPT codes - 0704T for remote installation and training and 0705T for treatment monitoring and technical support, says NovaSight. Coverage may differ based on insurance, says the company.

NovaSight also offers cash-pay programs, and a financial assistance program. 

How Can I Facilitate Its Use?

Dr. Kiomall says she has designated a CureSight coordinator. This person connects the patient’s caregiver to NovaSight for the delivery and initial set-up, and monitors patient use.

Does It Really Work?

Dr. Cox says he has noted VA and stereoacuity improvements, and improvements in both Randot stereotesting and Worth 4 Dot testing for binocular function.

Elizabeth Bennett, OD, FAAO, at Children’s Eye Institute of Savannah, Georgia, says her experience in using CureSight has prompted her to now prescribe it as a first-line therapy. OM