FRANKLIN, MA, January 9, 2025 – Heidelberg Engineering, a global leader in ophthalmic imaging and healthcare data solutions, is pleased to announce FDA clearance of the Epithelial Thickness Module, available exclusively through the ANTERION Cornea App. This innovative module equips eye care professionals with advanced, thickness mapping and data insights to evaluate both the epithelial and stromal structures. Featuring detailed parameters and color maps, the module is designed to support refractive surgery planning, assess ocular surface evaluation, aid in corneal ectasia assessment, and assist in a variety of other cornea diagnostics.

“With the FDA clearance of the Epithelial Thickness Module, we are excited to expand the capabilities of the ANTERION® Cornea App and provide eye care professionals with an even more robust toolkit for assessing their patients’ corneal health,” said Ram Liebenthal, General Manager of Heidelberg Engineering USA. “From the beginning, our vision has been to provide precise data and reproducible measurements that allow clinicians to make informed decisions, enhance patient care, and streamline workflows. This latest FDA clearance is a key milestone in fulfilling that mission.”

In addition to the Epithelial Thickness Module, ANTERION now includes Ectasia View, a powerful toolset designed to help clinicians assess and track ectatic changes in the cornea, including conditions like keratoconus. This advanced feature integrates vital corneal data from multiple visits into a single, intuitive dashboard, offering a quick overview of essential tomographic maps and parameters to facilitate clinical decision-making.

ANTERION, commercially available in the U.S. since 2024, is a leading-edge modular anterior segment imaging platform that combines biometry, IOL power calculation, corneal topography and tomography, anterior chamber metrics, and high-resolution swept-source OCT imaging into a single device. With the added capabilities of the Epithelial Thickness Module and Ectasia View, ANTERION takes diagnostics to the next level. These advanced features are helping to transform daily clinical workflows, improve precision, and enhance efficiencies for clinicians.

Jeffrey Fischer, MD, Principal Investigator of the clinical trial, shared, “The Epithelial Thickness Module will be a valuable tool in improving precision and outcomes in cornea, cataract, and refractive care. It provides detailed, repeatable data that are essential for evaluating and managing various corneal conditions and procedures. The enhanced Ectasia View will be particularly helpful for monitoring conditions like keratoconus, making it easier to track progression. Together, these features support better patient care and more effective treatment planning.”

Commercial availability of the Epithelial Thickness Module is set for February 2025. Existing ANTERION Cornea App users can easily add this module with a simple software update. For new customers, the module will be automatically integrated into the comprehensive platform upon purchase of the ANTERION Cornea App.

For more information about ANTERION, visit our website or contact us directly.

About Heidelberg Engineering
Heidelberg Engineering continuously optimizes imaging and healthcare IT technologies to provide ophthalmic diagnostic solutions that empower clinicians to improve patient care. From its inception in 1990, the Company has collaborated with scientists, clinicians, and industry to develop innovative products that deliver clinically relevant benefits.

Uncompromising quality and education play a large part in fostering the diagnostic confidence that has become synonymous with the global brand. The Company’s substantial expertise in the development and implementation of intelligent image and data management solutions complements its distinguished history in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic diagnostic instruments.

Heidelberg Engineering’s growing product portfolio combines these core technologies: confocal microscopy, scanning lasers and optics, optical coherence tomography (OCT), real-time image processing and analytics, multimodal image management solutions (PACS), electronic medical records (EMR), and large-scale data analysis.

Company Contact:
Wellentina Greer
(508) 918-7034
Wellentina.Greer@heidelbergengineering.com

Media Contact:
Colleen Ketchum
colleen.ketchum@precisionaq.com

The first International Glaucoma Symposium will be held by Heidelberg Engineering in conjunction with Mainz University on 1st February, 2025, bringing together specialists from around the world.

The event calls for AI to be fully implemented as an increasing number of glaucoma and diabetic patients are diagnosed, often when the condition is advanced. The use of AI is starting to aid detection, and speed of processing patients, with a limited number of clinicians in many countries.

The University Eye Clinic at Mainz – easily reached from Frankfurt airport – is open to all ophthalmologists and those involved in the application of AI to this specialty.

Heidelberg Engineering Clinical Director Glaucoma, Dr Stephan Schulz, is encouraging the profession to attend and help to form the care pathways for the next decade.

“We will be hearing from world specialists about their experiences and aspirations for the development of AI models for patient identification and disease progression predictions. The open forum session during the afternoon is designed to encourage an inspiring and educational exchange of ideas and experiences.”

Computer-aided diagnosis has become increasingly widespread in medicine and the analysis of complex data is already making headway for effective glaucoma detection and diagnosis.

To reserve a place at this event please visit:

International Glaucoma Symposium (IGS)

The expected burden on global healthcare systems of glaucoma care in the next decade was the focus of the first Heidelberg Engineering International Glaucoma Symposium

Heidelberg, Germany (17 February 2025) The event, held at the University Eye Clinic in Mainz, brought the role of AI to the fore, and delegates from 13 countries were able to discuss the expected next steps in integrating this safely into the care pathways.

Mainz University was a fitting venue for the inaugural symposium, as a centre of excellence in glaucoma care. Close to Frankfurt Airport, it drew speakers from ophthalmology, along with computer scientists aligned to this field of healthcare.

“Global experts explored the transformative role of AI in ophthalmology, clinical practice, and research. This included optic neuropathies with a focus on glaucoma. The open forums were especially valuable for clinicians to discuss their concerns and the opportunities that AI brings in delivering care to a greater cohort of ageing patients,” said Dr Stephan Schulz, Heidelberg Engineering Clinical Director Glaucoma.

Dr. Schulz underlined that the most pressing focus for all in glaucoma care is coping with the increasing number of cases arising, identifying those who need specific care, and those who need observing. Almost 50% of glaucoma patients can be missed: many will not experience problems, but others will be fast progressors who need attention. The symposium also attracted many generalists, looking to incorporate this aspect of care into their workflow.

Led by Professor Norbert Pfeiffer and Professor Esther Hofmann, both of Mainz University, the delegates and speakers, together, delved into AI’s potential in optic neuropathies, with the following outcomes –

• AI has the potential to enhance, not replaces clinicians — Driving improvements in diagnosis, early detection, personalized treatment, and patient outcomes
• AI in medical imaging for optic neuropathies — Aims to analyze images for visual biomarkers resulting in risk assessment, early disease detection and treatment monitoring
• High-quality images & datasets — Essential for developing sensitive and accurate AI algorithms
• Advanced imaging techniques like OCTA — including multimodal data, offering deeper insights into glaucomatous changes

The success of the first industry-led glaucoma symposium comes twenty years on from the first International SPECTRALIS Symposium, also held by Heidelberg Engineering. It is a timely progression, as an adjunct to this now highly respected part of the ophthalmology calendar, as Schulz explained –

“Heidelberg Engineering has always had a strong position in glaucoma research and care, and it is fitting that this aspect of ophthalmology now has its own space in the conference arena. In the next five years we are expecting to see significant advances and we will probably be looking at new imaging devices, quite possibly to be used in the home.”

Under the chairmanship of Professor Dr. Frank Holz (Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Germany), this two-day event will welcome international delegates and feature 35 renowned speakers from 12 countries. Attendees will gain valuable insights into high-resolution OCT, artificial intelligence in ophthalmology, and distributed care models, shaping the future of diagnostics and patient management.

Among the innovations on display, Heidelberg Engineering will showcase the new SeeLuma digital microscope with intraoperative OCT, offering enhanced visualization and greater insights in the operating theatre.

“This is considered one of the most scientific and influential imaging conferences. What began 21 years ago as a dedicated retinal imaging event has evolved into a comprehensive platform for innovation in ophthalmology. The opportunity to engage with such a distinguished group of experts and discuss emerging therapies in this setting is truly unparalleled,” said Professor Holz.

Register at: International SPECTRALIS Symposium – and beyond

March 27, 2025 (University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) & University of Bonn) – A groundbreaking study published in Translational Vision Science & Technology introduces a new nomenclature for analyzing retinal structures in high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT), offering researchers a refined map of the retina that could enhance diagnostics and understanding of ocular disease.

Led by Lukas Goerdt, MD, a research fellow affiliated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Bonn, the study takes advantage of the Heidelberg Engineering HighRes-OCT research device, which improves axial resolution from the standard ~7 microns to approximately < 3 microns per pixel. This increase in detail allowed the team to identify and name 28 distinct retinal bands, some of which were previously invisible using currently available OCT technologies.

“We wanted to unveil what’s truly visible in these images,” said Goerdt. “To collaborate and compare results across groups, we need a shared language. This updated nomenclature gives us that.”

The team’s goal was to establish a standardized vocabulary for these high-resolution OCT images, building on known anatomy through histology and electron microscopy. The names align where possible with existing OCT nomenclature while allowing room for future refinement of bands not yet fully understood.

To test the utility of the new system, the team applied it to a dataset from UAB including healthy eyes and patients with early and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They found that the visibility of specific bands varied between study participants, confirming the nomenclature’s usefulness in capturing biologically meaningful differences.

“Nomenclature is only useful if it helps track changes over time or between groups,” Goerdt said. “We showed that our system does both.”

A Tool for Researchers, Built for Openness

To support the community in applying this nomenclature, the team developed a custom ImageJ plugin, an open-source software tool for image analysis. The plugin walks users through grading band visibility across nine predefined retinal locations and outputs structured data files for further analysis.

“Our plugin is intuitive and well-documented,” said Goerdt. “We even published a walkthrough video and supplementary material to help researchers get started.”

Though the plugin isn’t yet optimized for clinical practice, it offers immediate value for researchers studying retinal structure, aging, and disease.

“Clinicians may not need this level of detail—yet” Goerdt noted. “But for research purposes, this tool provides clarity, consistency, and a common reference point.”

Award-Winning Innovation

In recognition of his and his team’s work on this project, Lukas Goerdt is awarded the Xtreme Research Award 2025 by Heidelberg Engineering, honoring innovative contributions to retinal imaging and the application of high-resolution OCT. The award highlights the potential impact of this research on the future of ophthalmic diagnostics and image-based discovery.

Collaborative Roots and Future Directions

This project drew on expertise from UAB’s Clinical Research Unit, including input from computer scientists, histopathologists, and imaging specialists. The team also worked closely with experts at Heidelberg Engineering to understand the technical capabilities and limitations of the used HighRes-OCT research device.

Looking forward, the next step is to automate the grading process, which currently takes about 45 minutes per eye. The team also plans to correlate structural data with visual function, including metrics like dark adaptation and microperimetry. An ongoing study with collaborators in Spain is investigating how these retinal bands evolve across the human lifespan.

“Eventually, we want to understand whether all this structural detail translates into functional outcomes,” Goerdt said.

He hopes other researchers will engage with the nomenclature and contribute to its evolution.

“Even if people don’t adopt it as-is, we’d love feedback”, he said. “We want this system to grow with the field and reflect what’s actually useful to the research community.”