Normally Zeiss Cirrus HD-OCT machines are located in fixed locations in hospitals.

However in West London where I work we had only one situated at The Western Eye Hospital in 2009.

John Hood from Zeiss kindly lent me his demonstration machine while he was on holiday letting me into a little secret that he carries his demonstration machine in his own car!

So the idea of a mobile OCT service emerged.

Together with my Engineering son Tom Lee, and Zeiss engineers Joel Chapman we modified and designed a roll on roll off ferry like system on Pneumatic wheels. Hence K9 was born.

Fully mobile cushioned with soft pneumatic wheels. He is transported in my Shogun from clinic to clinic in a roll-on roll-off ferry like fashion. Just like the star Ship Enterprise he separates from the trolley to slide into the Shogun on a specially made ramp.  

Zeiss in Germany confirm this machine is built like a tank – weighing in at 80kg we would agree!

He now has his own Wireless network built in to print and transfer images and allow other doctors in the clinic to view the images.  

This has enabled us to provide a truly mobile Optical Coherence Tomography service where ever I consult.

In February 2010 we started an NHS out reach Clinic at Mount Vernon Hospital to offer a high quality Age related macular degeneration service to the north of Hillingdon and to Hertfordshire. This service really took off in the lovely PFI newly built outpatient department building.

K9 is now 2 years old!! 26 August 2009 date of birth.

He is also breeding with K10 born at The Hillingdon Hospital in July 2011. He has some new young friends at The Western Eye Hospital.

A big thank you to Joel Chapman and John Hood who look after K9 when he is not so well. He had a fall in the snow and broke his nose (chin rest) as well as damaging the trolley. All repaired I am pleased to say. One of his 5 lasers has been unreliable and is being replaced, but seems other of his friends also have the same issue and the US are investigating.

I keep in close contact with the Engineers and the Development team in California USA keeping me right up-to-date with the latest developments and software. Currently we are waiting for Version 5.2 software and I am hoping to be the first in the UK to have version 6.00.

This technology is truly amazing and K9 has proved a real workhorse.

October 2011 - K9 is in Zeiss Workshop and his work is being done by K9 Understudy. One of his diode lasers has failed and he is waiting for the Part to be flown from USA to Germany and then UK.

Sadly UK cannot repair him so he is taking a trip to the Factory in Germany - We wish him a safe trip and hope the German Mechanics can restore him to his former glory!

We wish him a speedy recovery but K9 Understudy has been loaned from Zeiss, Wheels added and data transfered to take his place in the team!

27/2/2012 He is Back - Arrived in a well package crate and we unpacked him, put his wheels back on and updated his data files. All thanks i here to Gunta in Germany, replacing a few electronic boards. He is looking forward to go to work next week. 

Version 6 Software is eagerly awaited. I have seen it at AAO in the Autumn and we are expecting it any month now. Some new measurements will be available  including one that looks at  Geographic atrophy and is able to calculate the area affected and compare this to previous scans. This will give an indication on how much the geographic atrophy has changed over the years. Unfortunately Geographic atrophy does increase slowly in size. Active research is under way for drugs to stop this. However for the fist time we will be able to tell exactly the size of the retina affected and if this is changing. A very exciting development.

 March 2012 - With the Charity money raised from the Successful Eye Ball in the Summer last year we are placing the order for K11 for Mount Vernon Clinic. This will allow clinics to have an OCT machine on the days Mr Lee is not there with K9. We thank every one that supported us and donated so generously. 

April  2013 - K9 is to have a "heart Transplant" with an upgrade from Dual core to Quad Core which will let him run the new 6.5 Software which has one important new feature. This is the new "FastTrac" software which creates a perfect scan even if the patient moves their eye or blinks. This is a real step forward to get the very best quality scan. However upgrading K9 was not easy, Joel his engineer has worked tirelessly week after week to get his new heart (computer) working. Just as it seemed all was well the scanning unit threw an error and it appears an Optical fibre is broken. Thus K9 is off to Zeiss UK headquarters for some intensive care treatment. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return shortly.

October 2013 - K9 is back from his Travels to the German Zeiss Factory. He has had his new Heart (Computer) installed and configured with the new FastTrac software that makes a perfect scan every time. He is now in tip top condition and back in action!! His owner and patients are very pleased!

 2016 - The Birth of K9 - Senior - K9 Junior Retires.

Zeiss have launched the next generation of machine - Cirrus 5000 AngioPlex.

This new Model looks very similar, reads all the previous taken scan images - so NO patient data is lost.

 BUT has  a new scanning module that more that doubles the scanning speed making for better images

BUT introduces the new Fundal Anigopraphy images - these are like Fundus Fluorescein Angiography which looks at the actual circulation of the eye bot superficial and deep.

A totally new Dimension in Imaging that is going to be the Dawn of a new Era in Imaging of the eye. 

 Many patients will be glad to see that it can replace Fundus Fluorescein Angiography in up to 80% of cases. This method of imaging the retinal circulation is totally non-invasive and uses no dye.  

Only 10 units in the UK have one of these currently and Mr Lee was the first in London to have the first of the new generation.

 Mr Lee has already made him mobile like K9 Junior and thus K9 Senior is able to travel from hospital to hospital with Mr Lee offering the very latest imaging to both his Private and NHS patients.  

 After 2 months on the road, Mr Lee is blown away by the quality of images it is producing and making differences to the care of his patients day In day out.

Truly the dawn of a new era

2023

K9 has travelled now to the Beautiful British Virgin islands -BVI.  Here I have been asked to help with the Diabetic eyes and other Medical Retina conditions with Dr Hubert O'Neal the islands Ophthalmologist at Tortola Vision.  They have bought the latest Zeiss Cirrus Angioplex 6000 and we have begun to take some amazing images. This is a first for the islands and we will be doing clinics there 3-4 months a year.