The system is part of Digitally Assisted Vitreoretinal Surgery (DAVS) platform and Alcon is launching it in collaboration with TrueVision 3D surgical, a company specialising in 3D visualisation and guidance microsurgery.

With NGENUITY in place, an eye surgeon can look at a high definition 3D screen while operating, instead of looking through the eye-piece of a microscope.

It takes between 30 minutes to three hours for a traditional vitrectomy to take place.

The new system has been designed to eliminate the use of microscope, enhancing the surgeon’s posture and reducing fatigue.

The system includes several components such as a high definition range (HDR) camera that offers high resolution, image depth, clarity and colour contrast. The three-dimensional view gives surgeon the sense of depth which was missing previously.

The surgeon can also increase magnification without compromising on the wide field view and can use several digital filters that customise the view during each procedure and highlighting ocular structures and tissue layers is also necessary to visualise the back of the eye.

Another important feature of NGENUITY is that it can reduce light fatigue on the patient’s eye, as it can be used in low light conditions as well.

Alcon CEO Mike Ball said: "The NGENUITY 3D Visualization System takes vitreoretinal surgery to a more intuitive operating experience, offering greater depth and detail during surgery.

"Our goal is to provide surgeons with better visualization while operating on the back of the eye, facilitate teaching and ultimately improve patient outcomes."

Apart from this, the system has also been designed to integrate a surgery room and a class room as the system can be used for demonstration purposes as well. The 3D screen will show exactly the operating team what the surgeon is seeing in real time.

The NGENUITY system will be available in US and in Europe by mid-September this year. The company expects to release the product in Japan by December this year.

Image: A surgeon using the NGENUITY system. Photo: Courtesy of Novartis AG.