Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, launches the Ngenuity 3D Visualization System, a platform for Digitally Assisted Vitreoretinal Surgery (DAVS).  The system is designed to enhance visualization of the back of the eye for improved surgeon experience. Alcon is launching the system in collaboration with TrueVision 3D Surgical, a California-based company specializing in digital 3D visualization and guidance for microsurgery.

The Ngenuity 3D Visualization System allows retinal surgeons to operate looking at a high definition 3D screen, instead of bending their necks to look through the eye-piece of a microscope. Traditional vitrectomy surgeries range from 30 minutes to over three hours in length to complete. This microscope-free design is engineered to improve surgeons' posture and may reduce fatigue.

The Ngenuity 3D Visualization System is comprised of several elements, notably a High Dynamic Range (HDR) camera that provides excellent resolution, image depth, clarity and color contrast. With the three-dimensional view, the surgeon now has depth perception not previously available on standard television monitors, often used today in the operation theatre. Surgeons may also increase magnification while maintaining a wide field of view as well as use digital filters to customize his or her view during each procedure, highlighting ocular structures and tissue layers which is imperative to visualize the back of the eye. Engineered with a specific focus on minimizing light exposure to the patient's eye, the Ngenuity 3D Visualization System facilitates operating using lower light levels.

"This digital platform offers more than just enhanced visualization. It will impact our therapies and the way we manipulate tissue," said Dr. Allen Ho, Professor of Ophthalmology, Thomas Jefferson University and Director of Retina Research Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA. "The easier it is for surgeons to perform these long, delicate surgeries, the better they can perform for our patients who count on us to provide them with the best possible care."

The system is designed to facilitate collaboration and teaching in the operating room. Offering an immersive panoramic surgical view, the Ngenuity 3D Visualization System allows the operating team to see exactly what the surgeon is seeing in real-time.

"The Ngenuity 3D Visualization System takes vitreoretinal surgery to a more intuitive operating experience, offering greater depth and detail during surgery," said Mike Ball, CEO of Alcon. "Our goal is to provide surgeons with better visualization while operating on the back of the eye, facilitate teaching and ultimately improve patient outcomes."

The Ngenuity 3D Visualization System is expected to be available in the United States and specific countries within Europe as of September 15, 2016, and is expected to be available in Japan in December of this year. Other countries are expected to launch the Ngenuity 3D Visualization System over the course of 2017.

Vitreoretinal surgery is a sub-specialty of ophthalmology focused in diseases and surgery of the back of the eye including the retina and the vitreous body of the eye. The retina is a light-sensitive area that includes the macula, which is made up of light-sensitive cells that provide sharp, detailed vision. The vitreous body of the eye is a clear gel that fills the space between the retina and the lens. The retina, the macula, and the vitreous body can all be subject to various diseases and conditions that can lead to blindness or vision loss and may require the attention of a vitreoretinal surgeon.

The Ngenuity 3D Visualization System was developed in collaboration with TrueVision 3D Surgical, a California-based leader in digital 3D visualization and guidance for microsurgery. It consists of a 3D stereoscopic, high-definition digital video camera and workstation to provide magnified stereoscopic images of objects during micro-surgery. It acts as an adjunct to the surgical microscope during surgery displaying real-time images or images from recordings.  Please refer to the User Manual for a complete list of appropriate uses, warnings and precautions.