EW INTERNATIONAL
140
March 2015
by Matt Young EyeWorld Contributing Writer
the European Society of Cataract
& Refractive Surgeons Congress in
2014, as well as at the ASCRS•ASOA
booth at the 2014 American Acade-
my of Ophthalmology meeting with
a 3D printer, a trend began to form:
Ophthalmology education is getting
a digital makeover, particularly in
the exhibition space.
From Google Glass to
Oculus Rift
Bayer (Leverkusen, Germany)
created a Google Glass (Google,
Mountain View, Calif.) exhibition
at the company's booth, where
clinicians could experience the
possible future of clinical ophthal-
mology practice using Google Glass.
Physicians could compare physical
electronic health records posted on
a panel with an electronic medical
record demo on Google, and deter-
mine whether that might work for
Today's new gadgets
are reshaping the way
healthcare practitioners
communicate
I
t is possible that the 2014
World Ophthalmology Con-
gress (WOC) in Tokyo involved
a digital aberration. This was a
congress where surgeons in suits
digitally changed into kimonos and
ninja outfits while exploring surgical
technology—thanks to Augmented
Reality at the Nidek (Fremont, Calif.)
booth. But it could have been a one-
off phenomenon. Allergan's (Irvine,
Calif.) Epcot-like glaucoma ride also
could have been an isolated inci-
dent. As a nation, Japan certainly
embraces technology.
But when even more novel digi-
tal interactivity and new technology
began appearing at EURETINA and
Medical education getting a
high-tech makeover
The author tries an Oculus Rift experience at an Alcon exhibition booth.
Source: Matt Young
