Lipiflow is a medical device produced by TearScience. The device was cleared by the FDA in 2013. Tear Science was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2017.
In February 2013, Tear Science announced that it had secured $70 million in venture capital from HealthCare Royalty Partners to commercialize the device. (HealthCare Royalty Partners has also invested in Lyrica, an anesthetisizing drug that is sometimes prescribed off-label to Dry Eye patients). Since then, with an intense marketing campaign, many ophthalmology and optometry offices have obtained the device.
How it Works
The Lipiflow device heats and simultaneously massages the eye. Reviews have been mixed.
Unless the meibomian glands are first cleared of any obstructions, particularly fibrotic tissue which cannot be cleared with heat and massage, the device may not be effective. It can pose some of the same risks as lid massage.
Insurance does not cover the procedure.
For more information, see Lipiflow