Cream of competition’s slit lamp images

Utpal Sarkar’s winning image

A slit lamp image of a case of spherophakia has won the Haag-Streit Slit Lamp Imaging Competition 2022.

The first prize, a Sony Alpha 7 IV Kit, was awarded to Utpal Sarkar from Disha Eye Hospitals Barrackpore in Kolkata, India. His winning image, taken with a Haag-Streit BX 900 Imaging System, shows a case of spherophakia and excelled in all three of the winning criteria: image quality, technical execution and disease interest. The jury said they were especially impressed by “the ciliary zonule being in full focus over nearly the entire 360° of the eye”.

Rob Hancock from Wirral University Teaching Hospital in Wirral, UK, won second prize and received a Nikon Z fc Double Zoom Kit. His image, also taken on a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp, displays a patient with ocular albinism and was captured with an iris transillumination technique. The image was selected by the jury for being “crisp, detail-rich and showing a high level of contrast”.

Ocular albinism by Rob Hancock

Third prize, a Peak Design Everyday Backpack, was awarded to Kathleen Warren from Duke Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Her winning image displays a case of epithelial in-growth, taken with a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp. Captured with large magnification, the image was described as “not only detail rich and fully in focus, but it has also been chosen for its artistic qualities”.

The Haag-Streit Slit Lamp Imaging Competition has run for four consecutive years, and attracted 168 entries from 20 countries this year. The jury consisted of Marc Curchod (ophthalmic photographer, Switzerland), Jesús Conejero (ophthalmologist, Spain) and Frank Wenger (head of product management general diagnostics, Haag-Streit, Switzerland).

Frank said: “Myself and my fellow jurors have been amazed by this year’s submissions. We have found the images of incomparable quality. As Haag-Streit, we are also very proud to see that many of the best images have been captured using our BX 900 slit lamp, which has been specially designed for ophthalmic photographers.”

A case of epithelial in-growth by Elizabeth Warren