Published in Events

ASRS 2026: industry highlights and product innovations

Alex Delaney-Gesing

This is editorially independent content
11 min read

This year’s American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) annual meeting kicked off across the lake—in Montreal, Canada.

Following up on our research coverage from the four-day event, we’ve got a glance at some of the exhibitors and their product innovations.

Where to begin?

The ASRS 2026’s Exhibit Hall (Hall d’Exposition, as the Montrealers say) was jam-packed with innovations and experiences.

Upon entrance, attendees were greeted by displays diving into the history of the ASRS as well as a vignette series surrounding the field: from a look at a day in the life of a retina specialist to retina-geared questions on protecting, educating, and advocating for patients.

A note regarding advocacy: ASRS is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, among other organizations and coalitions.

  • Among its recent focus efforts: protecting access to physician-administered drugs, expanding operating room (OR) access for retina surgery; fair reimbursement; modifier 25 coverage maintenance; seeking responsible artificial intelligence (AI) policy

Noted. And was the annual Film Festival Theatre included in this hall entrance?

Indeed it was. As part of the ASRS Creative Awards, the 2026 Festival du Film (Film Festival kicked off its 28th year inviting all ASRS members to celebrate the talents, observational skills, and creativity of retina specialists across the globe.

  • Its sponsors: AbbVie and Astellas Pharma Inc
  • And fun fact: The annual event was established by former ASRS President Kirk Packo, MD, FASRS.

So who won this year?

Announced during the 2026 Creative Awards on the meeting’s final, Best in Show went to Flavio A. Rezende, MD, PhD.

  • The film title: Adjustments and Struggles: Current Surgical Approach of Retinal Hemangioblastoma and Its Complications

And for a look at last year’s winners of the Film Festival (and Creative Awards), click here.

Stick with these Creative Award winners …

The First-Place Poster Award went to Megan E. Paul, MD, of Stanford Health Care.

  • Poster title: Evaluating Sleep Disruptions as a Modifiable Risk Factor for Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in a National Cohort of Over 5000 Patients

And Best in Show for the 2026 Photo Competition went to John T. Thompson, MD, for the photo titled Shadow Dancer.

Speaking of awards …

Eight new 2026 recipients of the ASRS Awards were named:

  • Glenn J. Jaffe, MD, FASRS (Gertrude D. Pyron Award and Lecture)
  • Carl C. Awh, MD, FASRS (ASRS Founders Award)
  • Joel A. Pearlman, MD, PhD, FASRS (The Packo Service Award)
  • Yoshihiro Yonekawa, MD, FASRS (ASRS Presidents’ Young Investigator Award)
  • H. Culver Boldt, MD (Early Career Section Crystal Apple Award)
  • Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS (2026 WinR Champion Award)
  • Joseph D. Boss, MD, and Korey Starkey, OCT-C (2026 Retina Image Bank Image of the Year)
  • Nita Valikodath, MD, MS, and Iman Barre, MD (Retina Atlas Chapter of the Year)

Nice! What else?

Bringing this back to the exhibit hall: The ASRS Broadcast Group recorded on-site expert interviews for the Journal of Vitreoretinal Disease (JVRD; the ASRS’s official scientific peer-reviewed journal).

Alrighty, now to these exhibitors—who was on-site?

Quite a few, in fact. While not a comprehensive list, we’ll share a few below (note: each hyperlink leads to our latest coverage on the companies).

AbbVie, Amgen, ANI Pharmaceuticals, Annexon Biosciences, Belite Bio, Biocon, Cencora, eSight by Gentex Corporation, Eyecare Partners, EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Haag-Streit, Harrow, Heidelberg Engineering, iCare and Visionix, Iridex, Lumibird Medical, Neurotech, NIDEK, Norlase, Ocular Therapeutix, Optos, Pine Pharmaceuticals, Prism Vision Group, Regeneron, Roche / Genentech, and Topcon Healthcare.

Any notable product highlights?

Bausch + Lomb exhibited immersive experience sessions for attendees to explore how their product innovations support retinal procedures. See below for a look at a few of these:

  • Stellaris Elite Vision Enhancement System, a comprehensive ophthalmic surgical platform
    • For use in both anterior and posterior segment surgeries
  • Bi-Blade + dual-port vitrectomy cutter, with a dual-port design that doubles the cut rate of traditional cutters
  • Cohen-Benner Contact (CBC) Lens, a free-floating, two-piece lens adaptable to different corneal topographies
    • Designed for enhanced posterior visualization
    • Offers high-resolution clarity, 36° field of view, a minimal 10mm profile
    • Ensures proprietary stabilization to support precision during surgery
  • SeeLuma, the first digital binoculars featuring a unique C-shaped arm design to support ergonomic posture for surgeons

Circle back to that immersive experience session.

These were featured in the ASRS Surgical Experience Center, which offered interactive, hands-on-lab activities for attendees to “test drive” a few of the latest surgical products and instrumentation in the retinal field.

Joining B+L’s products were technologies from Alcon and ZEISS.

Tell me more about those.

Top of mind for Alcon:

  • UNITY Vitreoretinal Cataract System (VCS), part of a next-generation system combining vitreoretinal and cataract surgery-based indications into a combined console (VSC) and a standalone cataract system (CS).
  • Valeda Light Delivery System (LDS), a noninvasive and multi-wavelength light therapy utilizing photobiomodulation and a light-emitting diode (LED) system for treating intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

And for ZEISS?

The company offered interactive sessions for two products:

  • ZEISS ARTEVO 850 3D heads-up ophthalmic microscope:
    • Heads-up surgery combined with customizable 3D visualization
    • Offers digital integration into the ZEISS Ophthalmic Workflows; intuitive navigation and productivity featuring a redesigned ZEISS CALLISTO eye user interface—accessible via a single touchscreen.
  • Head-mounted display (HMD) from HMDmd
    • Optional lightweight HMD to support surgeons visualizing a procedure performed with the ZEISS ARTEVO 850.
    • Check out more product info.
    • And see this promo.

Nice! What other exhibitors were in attendance?

Plenty more—including a few we haven’t previously reported on. Here’s just a glimpse:

We met up with Vortex Surgical.

  • Some background: This private medical device company develops vitreoretinal surgical instrumentation, including disposables, laser probes cannulas, and specialized devices such as illuminated depressors and membrane scrapers

And we also stopped by Volk Optical, a subsidiary of Halma plc.

  • Best known for: Designing and manufacturing ophthalmic lenses, diagnostic imaging, and surgical products—including anterior and retina laser, binocular indirect ophthalmoscope (BIO), slit lamp, gonio, single-use, and surgical lenses

Go on …

Also on-site was MedOne Surgical, developer of specialty surgical products (with a focus on single-use products for retinal surgery).

  • Among these: specialty cannulas, backflush instruments, and related devices for retina surgery
  • And if you missed them on-site—check out the company's new virtual booth.

And STERiJECT ophthalmic needles (by the Japanese TSK Laboratory) were on full display.

  • Among these: The specialized low dead space (LDS) is FDA 510(k)-cleared for ophthalmic procedures, delivering controlled injections with accurate doses.

Canadian-based MacoMira, in partnership with Keeler, also showcased its non-invasive dry AMD therapy designed to manage disease progression and enhance existing vision.

  • What it does: via 30-to-40-minute, in-office sessions, this headset-based device delivers low-level microcurrents through the eyelids to stimulate retinal cells, enhance blood flow, and improve visual function—without surgery, lasers, or injections.
  • Its regulatory status: cleared in Canada and Australia, with plans for a potential European Union clearance by Q4 2026.
    • And in the U.S.: While still investigational, the company plans to kick off clinical trial evaluations by the end of 2026

How about on the AI front?

Worth mentioning: EliseAI, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to support administrative tasks in the healthcare setting.

Its ophthalmic purpose: managing automated scheduling, pre-visit screenings, and post-op follow-ups to reduce administrative workloads while supporting patient care.

  • Other notable components include 24/7 patient access, direct electronic health record (EHR) integration, and customizable workflows.

Didn’t Eyes On Eyecare also have a booth?

Indeed we did! Self-promotional plug-in loading …

EOE actually just launched a new retina research-based app called Cited.

The gist of it: Think “PubMed meets Instagram Stories,” in which the app delivers a fast, swipeable feed of the latest peer-reviewed retina and ophthalmology research.

And we can’t not mention the KOL Stories component—where retina specialists can watch (or record their own!) short video perspectives discussing new research—that really separates the app from other research websites

Nice! And to end things?

For those attendees interested in planning ahead: Check out where next year’s annual meeting will be held (hint: the West Coast vibes are strong).

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