Technical Report: Reducing Lens Fogging Associated with Patient Mask Wearing with Heated Diagnostic Fundoscopy Lenses

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Optics
• Public Health

Background:

• Mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenges in ophthalmic retinal examinations due to lens fogging.
• Objective data on the extent of diagnostic lens fogging and the efficacy of solutions were lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the degree of ophthalmic lens fogging in patients wearing masks.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a lens warmer in reducing fogging and facilitating retinal examinations.

Main Methods:

• Quantified lens fogging using ImageJ on slit-lamp photographs of 90 D lenses before and after using a lens warmer.
• Assessed clinical relevance through a survey of eye care providers rating lens fogging and examination facilitation.

Main Results:

• Unheated lenses showed an average of 32.5% fogged area, while heated lenses averaged 1.1% fogged area.
• Surveyed eye care providers reported significantly reduced fogging and improved examination facilitation with lens warmers (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Significant ophthalmic lens fogging occurs with mask-wearing patients.
• Lens warmers are effective in reducing fogging and enhancing retinal examinations.
• Eye care providers can benefit from using lens warmers to mitigate diagnostic lens fogging.