ZEISS Medical Technology will showcase digital enhancements and revolutionary surgical solutions at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) conference from Oct. 19-21, 2024, in Chicago. These innovations across cataract, corneal refractive, retina, and glaucoma workflows, offer new, enhanced paths to patient management and treatment, using a digitally connected environment to help advance the clinical workflow to support a higher level of personalized care.
“ZEISS continues to expand its digital leadership in ophthalmology, offering new, pioneering ophthalmic offerings and clinical tools that create an enhanced digital workflow experience for both patients and surgeons,” said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., Head of the Digital Business Unit for ZEISS Medical Technology. “With the foundation of our Health Data Platform as part of the ZEISS Medical Ecosystem, our data-driven healthcare solutions unlock enormous value for surgeons, helping them deliver more efficient and personalized care throughout a patient’s journey.”
Extending the ZEISS digital portfolio, the company will introduce ZEISS VisioGen, a cutting-edge AI-driven solution designed to enhance refractive patient communication and streamline clinic operations, expanding the value to ophthalmologists and clinics by helping them grow their business through improved patient engagement. ZEISS VisioGen leverages generative AI (GenAI) for effective and efficient patient acquisition-as-a-service. The software solution provides digital communication services to offer fast, high-quality responses to patients. ZEISS VisioGen enables clinics to respond more effectively to patient inquiries while converting more patients to consultations using the latest GenAI technology combined with substantiated and verified content from ZEISS to generate personalized draft responses to patient queries for clinical staff to finalize and use.
“ZEISS VisioGen is an extremely useful tool for the busy refractive practice. It can save time and prevent grammatical errors in responding to questions from potential patients. The response time is quick and useful. Responses can also be effectively tailored to the specifics of your individual practice,” said Dr. Luke Rebenitsch, MD, ClearSight, Oklahoma City (OK, USA).
Demonstrating its continued momentum in the LVC market, ZEISS recently celebrated that more than 10 million eyes have been treated with lenticule extraction solutions utilizing ZEISS SMILE and ZEISS SMILE pro, marking a significant milestone for the company and proof of the growing international adoption of safe and effective lenticule extraction solutions. In 2011, ZEISS was the first medical device manufacturer to make lenticule extraction for laser vision correction commercially available, and ZEISS SMILE and ZEISS SMILE pro continue to be leading1 solutions trusted by surgeons for the technology’s reliability and effective treatment history with the VisuMax® and VISUMAX® 800 from ZEISS.
ZEISS will also showcase the recently FDA-approved VISUMAX® 800 with SMILE® pro software from ZEISS for surgically treating nearsightedness, with or without astigmatism. The updated ZEISS femtosecond laser provides U.S. refractive surgeons with faster treatment, greater flexibility, and significant workflow enhancements as compared to the previous generation VisuMax. The VISUMAX 800 creates the lenticule in less than 10 seconds by using a higher laser pulse repetition rate of 2 MHz.2 A shorter procedure time may reduce stress for both surgeons and their patients. The ZEISS femtosecond laser also provides greater flexibility for the surgeon and patient, with a smaller footprint and compatibility with a variety of patient beds, adapting to the clinical environment to provide cutting-edge technology without compromise.
With a long heritage in optics, ZEISS has been shaping optical biometry for 25 years since the introduction of the first automated non-invasive optical biometer. Marking a significant milestone in cataract surgery, the ZEISS IOLMaster, was the first device to combine contactless keratometry, axial length measurement, and IOL calculation. This innovation opened the door for continuous advancements in biometry, setting a new standard for getting fewer refractive surprises. Today, the ZEISS IOLMaster is the most commonly used biometer in the ophthalmic world.
Recently FDA cleared and now broadly available in the U.S., ZEISS will demonstrate the ZEISS MICOR 700, the first hand-held lens removal device with ultrasound-free operation, reinventing lens extraction by providing a sustainable solution with a low initial investment to help surgeons expand their intraocular working space. Designed to create a gentler patient experience, the ZEISS MICOR 700 offers a revolutionary approach to lens removal, including patented crystalline lens extraction technology, a blunt and rounded tip design, and a single-use “plug & play” system with a minimal operating room (O.R.) footprint.
ZEISS will also showcase its expanded portfolio of high-end microscopes with the ZEISS ARTEVO® 850 3D heads-up ophthalmic microscope setting the pace in digital visualization with true color imaging, and increased depth of field by nearly 60 percent.3 Additionally, the ZEISS ARTEVO 850 with CALLISTO eye® features a redesigned intuitive user interface that centralizes all controls on a single touchscreen. The second latest addition to ZEISS’s portfolio of optical surgical microscopes, the new ARTEVO® 750, elevates the surgical workflow by introducing advanced optical visualization technology, including new RGB LED illumination with adjustable light color temperature, as well as data overlays provided in the eyepiece with a 40 percent increase in resolution.4 The two devices are CE-marked and FDA cleared and commercially available in all major markets.
