Key Takeaways

  • Heidelberg Engineering will showcase new technologies across its surgical, posterior segment, and anterior segment portfolios at AAO 
  • Featured advances include Heidelberg Opera digital surgical visualization, Heidelberg RCM corneal confocal microscopy, and faster OCTA and expanded multimodal imaging for Spectralis
  • New Anterion capabilities automate scleral spur detection and facilitate the transfer of cataract measurements to compatible surgical planning platforms

Heidelberg Engineering will showcase new ophthalmic imaging, workflow automation, and surgical visualization technologies during the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting, taking place October 10-12, 2026, in New Orleans.

The company plans to demonstrate technologies spanning its posterior segment, anterior segment, and surgical portfolios at the EssilorLuxottica booth #2719. Featured technologies will include the commercially available Heidelberg Opera digital surgical microscope platform, the Heidelberg RCM in vivo confocal microscope, new Spectralis imaging capabilities, and additional automation for Anterion.

“This is our most robust AAO in Heidelberg Engineering’s 36-year history, with more new innovation to share than ever before,” Jeff Sieve, president of Heidelberg Engineering, said in a statement. “From advanced diagnostic imaging and greater automation to digital visualization in the operating room, we’re bringing innovation across the patient journey to help clinicians work more efficiently, see with greater clarity, and make confident clinical decisions.”

Heidelberg Opera 

Now commercially available in the United States, Heidelberg Opera is a fully digital ophthalmic surgical microscope platform designed to provide digital visualization in the operating room.

During AAO 2026, surgeons will be able to use the system in an in-booth wet lab. Heidelberg Engineering said the platform provides visualization on large-format displays with high levels of color, contrast, and resolution, as well as image enhancement capabilities intended to improve visualization of anatomical details.

The system also is designed to support surgical workflow and teaching applications.

Heidelberg RCM

The company also will feature Heidelberg RCM, which marks the return of in vivo confocal microscopy to Heidelberg Engineering’s product portfolio following the discontinuation of the HRT3 RCM.

The system provides high-resolution, wider-field microscopic images of the cornea, allowing clinicians to examine cellular-level morphology across corneal layers from the epithelium to the endothelium.

Heidelberg RCM provides a field of view of up to 600 × 600 µm.

Spectralis

Heidelberg Engineering also will demonstrate capabilities from its latest Spectralis software release, which received FDA clearance earlier in 2026 and is now commercially available.

The software introduces 250-kHz OCT angiography (OCTA), which the company describes as the fastest OCTA image acquisition available to date on the Spectralis platform. The increased acquisition speed is intended to support more efficient imaging workflows, particularly in high-volume clinical settings.

Another addition, the Green Autofluorescence Module, expands the platform’s multimodal imaging capabilities and is designed to improve visualization of the macula, including foveal sparing in macular atrophy. The technology can be used alongside BluePeak blue autofluorescence imaging to provide complementary views of retinal structure and metabolic changes.

For glaucoma management, Posterior Pole Change Analysis allows clinicians to compare multiple examinations in a single view to visualize and monitor structural changes over time.

Anterion 

New capabilities for Anterion are focused on increasing automation between examination, measurement, and surgical planning.

The FDA-cleared Automatic Scleral Spur Detection capability automatically identifies the scleral spur and calculates key anterior chamber measurements. The feature is intended to reduce ambiguity associated with angle assessment.

Anterion can also automatically transfer key cataract measurement reports to compatible surgical planning platforms. According to Heidelberg, the workflow is designed to reduce manual data entry and the potential for data-entry errors.

In addition to hands-on demonstrations, Heidelberg Engineering said its AAO presence will include an in-booth theater featuring clinical cases and presentations from clinicians.