Ophthalmic imaging and surgical visualization are the themes for Heidelberg Engineering this week as the company highlights several recent additions to its portfolio during the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
What’s first?
That would be the Heidelberg OPERA, its first fully digital surgical visualization platform introduced to the U.S. commercial market space earlier this spring.
A few key features worth noting:
- Diagnostic-grade visualization: digital enhancements designed to improve visibility of fine anatomical structures
- Reduced-illumination imaging: a clear view at low light to limit the patient's light exposure
- Heads-up ergonomics: freely positionable digital binoculars and C-arm displays for upright operating posture
- Shared 3D view and Assist Mode: a live view on multiple 2D/3D displays, with real-time annotations for team teaching
- Recording, streaming, and a digital roadmap: built-in capture and wireless sharing, with intraoperative imaging and decision support flagged as future additions
See its product page for even more.
And while on-site?
Surgeons can get a first-hand (hands-on, if you will) look at the system via an in-booth “wet lab.”
Nice! What else is new?
Next up: the Heidelberg Rostock Cornea Module (RCM), which was (re-)introduced in August.
What it is: an in vivo corneal confocal microscope that images the cornea at a cellular level—layer by layer from the epithelium to the endothelium—without taking tissue.
- Notably: The company referred to the device as marking “the return of in vivo confocal microscopy" to its portfolio following its discontinuation of HRT3 RCM in 2023—with this entry reportedly prompted by corneal specialist demand.
Tell me more.
Here are the top features on this contact device:
- Cellular-level corneal imaging: high-resolution images of each layer, from the epithelium to the endothelium
- Confocal laser scanning: based on Heidelberg's cSLO design (core technology behind its SPECTRALIS [which we’ll discuss] and HRT platforms)
- Two fields of view: 400 × 400 µm as standard, with an optional 600 × 600 µm for imaging larger areas in a single scan
- Guided contact positioning: a live eye-monitoring camera helps place the corneal contact cap on the eye
- Flexible capture and analysis: still images and image sequences with built-in software for review and analysis
And you mentioned SPECTRALIS earlier …
Indeed we did. Why? The FDA cleared Heidelberg’s latest release of its SPECTRALIS software for multimodal retinal imaging.
Specifically: This relates to its OCTA Module with SHIFT technology, offering what the company calls “the fastest OCTA image acquisition yet on the platform.”
- See here and click here for more details on the update.
Any other technology?
One more: the FDA-cleared Automatic Scleral Spur Detection for Heidelberg’s ANTERIOR platform, which now automatically:
- Identifies the scleral spur and calculates key anterior chamber measurements
- Transfers key cataract measurement reports to compatible surgical planning platforms (to reduce manual data entry and potential for data-entry errors)