ClarVista Medical Named Top Ophthalmology Innovation of 2015 by The Ophthalmologist

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ClarVista Medical, Inc.(www.clarvistamedical.com), an ophthalmic device company developing the HARMONI® Modular IOL system, announced today that The Ophthalmologist, a leading publication in the field of ophthalmology, selected the HARMONI system as the #1 Ophthalmology Innovation of 2015. 

The HARMONI system is a two-part modular IOL with separate optic and base components. The HARMONI system was designed to improve initial visual outcomes with predictably stable lens position, as well as easy post-operative adjustment of IOL power and toricity via optic exchange or rotation without manipulation of the base or the delicate capsular bag.

"We are honored to have HARMONI recognized by The Ophthalmologist as the most promising new technology in ophthalmology among a group of distinguished recipients," said Paul McLean, CEO of ClarVista Medical. "We are committed to our vision of bringing the HARMONI system to patients around the world and becoming the ophthalmologist's first choice for every cataract patient."

Dr. Malik Kahook, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado and co-inventor of the technology stated, "Being selected as the most promising new technology is truly an honor but is also further evidence that today's IOLs are simply no longer able to meet the high expectations of patients and physicians. We designed this system to be easily and safely exchangeable without manipulation of the delicate capsular bag and this feature, by itself, will deliver great value to the market. However, we think we can go well beyond that and have shown the promise to more accurately hit initial refractive targets. Early data also shows significant reduction in the development of secondary cataracts (posterior capsular opacification), a common reason for deteriorating vision post-operatively. As recognized by the judges, the HARMONI system could revolutionize cataract surgery."

The HARMONI system was selected from a broad field of novel ophthalmology technologies encompassing digital apps, intraocular lenses, imaging devices, lasers, surgical tools and drug therapeutics. In selecting the HARMONI system to receive top honors, the judges commented, "the concept of postoperative IOL adjustment is very appealing," and that "the ability to change the optic without touching the haptics could revolutionize cataract surgery." 

The HARMONI system received CE Mark in September 2015 and is currently being evaluated in a series of global multi-center studies. The HARMONI system is not approved for use in the United States.

Read the full Ophthalmologist Innovation Awards, The Stars of 2015 report.

ABOUT CATARACT SURGERY

According to the National Eye Institute, cataract disease is one of the leading causes of vision loss and blindness globally with an estimated 25 million people in the US and over 150 million people worldwide who suffer from impaired visual acuity due to cataract in one or both eyes. A cataract is caused by opacification of the lens of the eye which focuses light required for vision, and if left untreated, can lead to blindness. Fortunately, normal vision can be restored through cataract surgery, a procedure in which the patient's opaque natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial IOL. Cataract surgery is the most common procedure performed in all of medicine with over 3 million Americans choosing to have cataract surgery each year. It is estimated that the global market for intraocular lenses exceeded $3 billion in 2014.

ABOUT CLARVISTA MEDICAL

ClarVista Medical is a privately-held ophthalmic device company focused on the development of the HARMONI modular intraocular lens system, a novel and easily exchangeable intraocular lens (IOL) for lens replacement after cataract surgery. The HARMONI system features two components, a base component and an optic component. The base component is an elegant positioning device that provides a stable and predictable platform within the natural capsular bag. The optic component is an advanced optical lens that couples to the base securely using traditional surgical instrumentation. The modular base and optic system provide a stable and flexible platform for accurately correcting vision. The HARMONI system offers physicians the ability to safely and cost-effectively offer patients a lens option that can be upgraded and adjusted to optimize clinical outcomes based on patients' evolving medical needs throughout their lifetime. The HARMONI Modular IOL has CE Mark and is an investigational device in the US. ClarVista is developing a full range of intraocular lenses to address significant unmet needs in the IOL market. To learn more about the ClarVista and the HARMONI technology visit: clarvistamedical.com

ABOUT THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST

The Ophthalmologist integrates topical news coverage, with practical, pragmatic articles that are meaningful to a practicing ophthalmologist's daily working life. The magazine publishes feature articles that tell the stories behind the biggest concepts, issues and advances in the field, including the latest in the clinical research, professional, practice and pharmaceutical areas as well as highlights from where clinical practice will be in the next decade, with interviews and articles from the ophthalmologists leading this bleeding-edge research. theophthalmologist.com

SOURCE ClarVista Medical, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.clarvistamedical.com