Surgery | Ophthalmology Innovation Source

Alcon Turnaround Has Novartis Exploring Spin-off

In announcing that Novartis AG is exploring spinning off its Alcon eye-care business, Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez acknowledged that Alcon has made progress in the past year in executing its turnaround plan under CEO Mike Ball. Novartis revealed it is exploring options for Alcon that include spinning it off, issuing an IPO or keeping it,…

Mixing MIGS & Meds

Mixing MIGS and Meds - Eye On Innovation Article

Long gone are the days where glaucoma surgery meant an invasive procedure with the likelihood of a serious complication developing down the road – while trabeculectomy is still a viable option, its side-effect profile is relegating it to more of a final option. These days, surgeons are much more likely to recommend minimally invasive glaucoma…

The OIS Lifetime Innovator Award goes to…

Roger Steinert, MD For A Lifetime of Exceptional Contributions to Ophthalmic Innovation and Entrepreneurship Dr. Steinert’s advanced skill and excellent surgical results have earned him a reputation as an international consultant and leader in cataract surgery, refractive surgery and corneal transplants. He has conducted numerous, high-profile research studies and remains at the forefront…

Second Sight’s Argus II Shows Strong Performance at the Five-Year Mark

Argus II Implant as Good at 5 Years as It Is at 3 - Eye on Innovation

With news that the global market for retinal implants is expected to skyrocket to $1.1 billion by 2022, investigators of Second Sight Medical Products’ Argus II retinal implant chose a good time to report that five-year results are in line with the previously reported three-year outcomes. The results were reported at the 39th Annual Macula…

`Mythbuster’ Cheskin on Powervision’s Future Pipeline, Strength of IOLs

Barry Cheskin, co-founder, president, and CEO of PowerVision, introduces the company’s next iteration, Fluidvision 2020, a new IOL that doubles the power of accommodation for patients. PowerVision expects to have the IOL in clinics next year. Citing the lens’ clinical data, he also busts a myth about IOLs’ lifetime in the lens capsule. Speaking With:…

Looking Deep at Extended Depth-of-Focus IOLs

Multifocal IOLs, perhaps the best established solution to the problem of enabling post-cataract patients to see clearly at all distances, work by incorporating discrete refractive optical zones or diffractive echelettes into the lens. Accommodating IOLs, which aim to provide the same benefit, use ciliary muscle power to move the lens and/or change its shape to…

Is Auris Still Building a Robot for Cataract Surgery?

Auris Surgical Robotics Inc., a Bay Area medical technology company that had been developing a robotic platform for cataract surgery, just raised $150 million, but is in “stealth” mode as to what the proceeds of the capital infusion will be used for. David Schumer, head of marketing for Auris, would neither confirm nor deny reports…

Premium IOLs: Two Outliers with Mainstream Potential

A problem that plagues refractive cataract surgery is the difficulty of determining the IOL power that will achieve each patient’s refractive target. In the old days, if a post-cataract patient wasn’t satisfied with their vision, they simply wore a pair of glasses. But patients paying thousands of dollars for a premium IOL are not satisfied…

Cross-linking platform denied FDA approval—for now

UPDATE 4/19/16: Avedro Finally Secures FDA Approval Read Full Story Click Here In late February, a joint panel of the Food and Drug Administration voted to recommend Avedro’s corneal cross-linking platform for regulatory approval. The combined riboflavin ophthalmic solutions and ultraviolet light irradiation for corneal collagen cross-linking platform may be approved for the treatment of…

Device, Delivery, & Diagnostic Company Showcase

Chicago—The 6th Annual Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS), held here prior to the annual American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) featured a plethora of intriguing early- to mid-stage companies focused in the medical devices arena. A regular presenter in past OIS meetings has been Tom Frinzi, President and CEO of WaveTec Vision (Aliso Viejo, California). Frinzi has…

Digital Health Companies Poised to Grow

When the OIS started its digital showcase in 2012, there was only one company presenting in the category. “Today there are six—evidence that this area has huge momentum,” said Gilbert H. Kliman, MD, OIS Co-Chair and Managing Director of InterWest Partners. Mobile health platforms and applications lead the pack, with new approaches to diagnosis, patient…

WaveTec “Must Have” for Alcon

WaveTec Vision Systems’ CEO, Tom Frinzi, delivered a bottom-line presentation at the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit @ASCRS in Boston. His six-minute presentation concentrated on the economic impact of WaveTec’s ORA System with VerifEye and concluded with this thought, “I would submit to you the ORA System with VerifEye is not a nice to have technology, it’s…