Key Takeaways

• Zeiss will showcase technologies spanning cataract, refractive, retina, glaucoma, surgical visualization, and digital clinical workflows at AAO 2026
• The company reported major adoption milestones, including 3 million cases planned with Veracity Surgery Planner, more than 15 million eyes treated with Smile and Smile pro, and more than 1 million US procedures using DORC TissueBlue
• New and updated offerings at the meeting include the HMDmd CR3 head-mounted display, Atlas 500 enhancements, VisioGen updates, the Matrix-VR headset perimeter under development, and the recently FDA-cleared Clinic 360 platform

Zeiss will showcase a range of ophthalmic technologies spanning cataract, corneal refractive, retina, glaucoma, and digital clinical workflows during the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting, scheduled for October 10-12 in New Orleans.

The company said its AAO presence will include milestones for Veracity Surgery Planner, Smile and Smile pro, and DORC TissueBlue, as well as updates involving surgical visualization, corneal topography, patient engagement, clinical data management, and visual field testing.

“From diagnosis to surgery and ongoing care, Zeiss is advancing the future of ophthalmology by redefining what is possible through optical and digital innovation,” Andreas Völker, head of the Ophthalmology Strategic Business Unit at Zeiss Medical Technology, said in a statement.

Veracity Surgery Planner surpasses 3 million planned cases

Zeiss announced that Veracity Surgery Planner has surpassed 3 million surgical cases planned.

The cloud-based cataract surgery planning software is designed to automate routine tasks and connect devices and clinical data, allowing surgical teams to access information and develop surgical plans across the cataract workflow.

The company plans to recognize the milestone at its AAO booth and host a session with I. Paul Singh, MD, of Eye Centers of Racine & Kenosha, discussing the technology.

Federico Villegas, head of Zeiss Medical Technology U.S. and president of Carl Zeiss Meditec. said the milestone, together with the company's refractive surgery growth, reflects Zeiss' position in ophthalmology and its focus on improving clinical outcomes and expanding access to eye care.

Head-mounted display expands Artevo 850 visualization options

Zeiss will also showcase the HMDmd CR3, an optional lightweight head-mounted display for use with the Artevo 850 surgical microscope.

The wearable display provides access to digital visualization features available through the microscope, including DCA, Smart DoF, adjustable RGB LED light temperature, and AdVision overlays. These can incorporate OCT scans, cataract refractive assistance functions, and information from connected devices.

According to the company, the display is designed to support a neutral head position and improve visual comfort during procedures.

Jason Jones, MD, ophthalmologist and founder of Jones Eye Clinic, is scheduled to discuss his experience using the Artevo 850 with the head-mounted display during an AAO booth session.

TissueBlue reaches US procedure milestone

Zeiss also reported that DORC TissueBlue has now been used in more than 1 million procedures in the United States.

The product is used for staining the internal limiting membrane during ophthalmic surgery. Zeiss plans to highlight the milestone at its AAO exhibit.

Atlas 500 gains ocular surface evaluation enhancements

The company will showcase an updated version of the Atlas 500 corneal topographer, with enhancements intended to support ocular surface disease evaluation and anterior segment assessment.

Updates include a patient screen that directly displays the topography map, expanded tooltips, notation improvements, and additional topographic information with ring and zone values at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mm.

The system uses Placido-disk technology and connects with Zeiss Forum for patient scheduling and data storage.

Smile platforms reach 15 million treated eyes

Zeiss reported that more than 15 million eyes worldwide have now been treated with Smile and Smile pro, up from the 10 million-eye milestone announced in 2024.

The systems are used for keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx). Zeiss commercialized Smile in 2011 and said the platforms are now used by more than 3,000 surgeons in more than 80 countries.

VisioGen updates target patient engagement and online visibility

Zeiss will also highlight updates to VisioGen, its artificial intelligence-based patient engagement platform for ophthalmology practices.

According to the company, the system responds to website inquiries to help convert prospective patients into scheduled appointments, with a licensed optometrist reviewing each response.

A new Practice Visibility Accelerator component is intended to identify and address website and online visibility issues to improve practice searchability. Zeiss also said VisioGen now integrates with the 10 leading electronic health record and practice management systems in the United States.

The company plans to present implementation data from 3 US ophthalmology practices at AAO. Across those practices, Zeiss said VisioGen answered 1,397 website inquiries that were traced to 215 completed surgeries.

Matrix-VR previews headset-based visual field testing

In glaucoma diagnostics, Zeiss will preview Matrix-VR, an ultra-light headset perimeter currently under development and powered by Envision Health Technologies.

The virtual reality-based visual field assessment system is being developed to complement Humphrey Field Analyzer testing. According to Zeiss, the headset is intended to help practices screen more patients for glaucoma while integrating screening results into clinical decision-making workflows.

The technology combines Envision Health Technologies' virtual reality and patient engagement software with Zeiss' experience in visual field testing and diagnostic connectivity.

Lama Al-Aswad, MD, MPH, glaucoma surgeon and founder and CEO of Envision Health Technologies, is scheduled to discuss the technology and the future of visual field testing during an AAO session at the Zeiss booth.

Clinic 360 adds cloud-based clinical data management option

Zeiss will also showcase Clinic 360, a recently FDA-cleared cloud- and browser-based software platform designed to aggregate clinical data and support analytics across ophthalmic workflows.

The platform provides an alternative to the company's Forum on-premise data management system. Zeiss said Clinic 360 is designed for practices seeking a cloud-based, scalable subscription model, while Forum remains available for organizations that prefer local infrastructure.

Jonathan Feistmann, MD, of NYC Retina, a development partner for Clinic 360, is scheduled to discuss his experience with the platform and digitally connected eye care during an AAO booth session.

Zeiss will showcase the technologies at booth 3719 during AAO 2026 in New Orleans.