ECS01
MULTIFOCAL IOLS SEE-THROUGH SIMULATOR – ENHANCING THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE WITH A TAILORED IOL SELECTION
S. Marcos1,2,*
12EyesVision, Madrid, Spain, 2University of Rochester, Rochester, United States
Presbyopia affects 100% of the population above 45 years old and cataracts 45% of the population above 75. The surgical correction for these conditions – affecting 1.8 billion people worldwide- consists in replacing the crystalline lens with an IOL. There are more than 100 different lens combinations to correct presbyopia. Even with the same lenses, different patients have a completely different visual experience and perception. Not all patients accept all multifocal lenses, and currently this fact cannot be anticipated. So far, IOLs cannot be tried before surgery, generating unsatisfied patients, lack of confidence, and a perception of risk, limiting the market penetration (only 8% Multifocal vs 92% monofocal). Nowadays, the choice of optimal lens type is based on interviews with patients, estimation and intuition. There is no technology providing reliable predictions.
2EyesVision offers a revolutionary simultaneous vision simulator, SimVis Gekko, an ophthalmic instrument that allows patients to experience multifocality before surgery. It is not virtual reality, but optical manipulation. In <10 minutes, patients can try different existing Multifocal corrections and express their preference. acting as a fitting room for patients candidate to presbyopic corrections. The technology provides value to patients, clinics and lens manufacturers, as it has the potential to reduce uncertainty in postoperative results, improve patient’s satisfaction, and increase profitability. By bringing a reliable device that allows clinicians to assess how the patient would see with multifocal lenses, we not only solve the current problems, but also fill the void of an unexploited market.
Despite the clear market niche, SimVis Gekko is currently the only device in the market that is wearable, binocular, programmable; allowing patients to see through the device, and experience the real world through particular commercial IOLs instead of looking to a display, giving a more natural and realistic simulation. There are other simulators, but they are bulky, tabletop, VR or not see-through, monocular and not programable, thus less adapted to the clinical environment.
The competitive advantage of the product comes from its technological approach, protected by 5 patents and with more than 20 scientific publications describing the technology based on temporal multiplexing with tunable lenses, and clinical validations. Simulations of the most used and relevant multifocal intraocular lenses and contact lenses as well as lasik presbyopic patterns are already included in the device, which has led to some key sales to early adopters. Many other units are in validation projects. USA and Europe are the main opportunities as the device is CE-marked and has FDA Approval.