Technology News

SAN FRANCISCO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, Noel Alpins, AM, FRANZCO, FRCOphth, FACS, discusses a new resource to help analyze astigmatic surgery data.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — At the OCTANe Medical Technology Innovation Forum, a speaker said artificial intelligence is not just about robots being used in health care, but also instruments and resources that will improve clinicians’ workloads and diagnostics.

This year’s American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting was one of the best ever with loads of new technologies entering eye care, including the first trifocal lens implant in the U.S., the Alcon PanOptix, the release of Cequa, an exciting new formulation of cyclosporine from Sun Pharma, and Beovu from Novartis, a novel anti-VEGF drug with a 12-week dosing schedule. But even more exciting than new FDA approvals are new ideas in the formative stages. No place has better showcases than the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit that takes place the Thursday before AAO Subspecialty Day. Here were some of my favorite presenting companies:

SAN FRANCISCO — The EyeArt artificial intelligence eye screening system showed high sensitivity and high specificity for diabetic retinopathy in a pivotal multicenter clinical trial, according to a speaker here.

SAN FRANCISCO — While small iris defects can be treated with sutures, patients with large iris defects who have poor cosmetics and light sensitivity can be successfully treated with artificial irises, according to a speaker here.

SAN FRANCISCO — At the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, Shareef Mahdavi discusses how new technology provides hope for ophthalmology’s future.

An app that is closely related to the development of UNR844 presbyopia-correcting ophthalmic solution from Novartis effectively measures vision changes at home, monitoring the effects and potentially warning the patient when it is time to repeat the treatment.

CHICAGO — The EyeArt artificial intelligence system for diabetic retinopathy screening demonstrated nearly 96% sensitivity for the detection of moderate or higher nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, according to a speaker here.

Easy-to-use automated OCT systems can enhance patient care in high-volume after-hours clinics when traditional scans are typically not available, according to a study.

Welcome to another edition of CEDARS/ASPENS Debates. CEDARS/ASPENS is a joint society of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery specialists, here to discuss some of the latest hot topics in ophthalmology.