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Alcon Laboratories initiate Technology Transfer – Jul 19th 2010

An advanced optical inspection system to improve the manufacture of Intraocular Lenses has been developed by photonics researchers in CIT’s Centre for Advanced Photonics & Process Analysis (CAPPA). Intraocular Lenses, commonly called IOLs, restore the sight of cataract patients with blindness or impaired vision by replacing the eye’s natural lens during surgery. For most of us cataracts are an unavoidable part of the ageing process given that more than half of those over 65 years old have some cataract development. But fortunately most cases can be treated successfully with surgery enabled by IOL technology.

Earlier this year saw the handover of the developed system from CAPPA to Alcon Laboratories Ltd. The CAPPA system was installed in Alcon’s Cork facility which manufactures the world’s most implanted IOLs. After receiving training in the operation of the system from CAPPA researchers, staff in Alcon were able to begin validation testing of the equipment on their IOL production line. The initial tests have been successful and results have proven the performance of the CAPPA technology on the production line.

These results have come from the close collaboration between the parties over the past 18 months. The company and the CAPPA researchers at CIT have been engaged in an Innovation Partnership project which is jointly funded by Alcon and Enterprise Ireland. This project is the eyecare company’s first R&D collaboration on the IOL manufacturing process to take place outside of the US. Once validated the technology will be licensed from CIT to Alcon, allowing them to roll-out this advance across their other facilities world-wide. The results produced by CAPPA have also facilitated further investment by Alcon in Cork to enable new high value development activities.

Commenting on the work so far Mr. Barry Walsh, Process Engineering Manager for Alcon, highlighted that “a successful relationship has been forged with the group (at CIT) which is now bearing fruit” and that the company “recognised the capability of CAPPA to provide value for money expertise in the area of process analysis and optical metrology”. Mr. Walsh also indicated that Alcon hope build on the relationship with CAPPA by exploring “a follow up on the Innovation Partnership currently being undertaken with another metrology based project this year” and by continuing “to make use of the analytical capabilities at CAPPA in ongoing process investigations”.

Alcon is positioned as one of the world’s leading eye-care companies with 6 out every 10 cataract patients receiving one of their AcrySof® IOLs. With World Health Organisation statistics showing almost half of all cases of blindness worldwide caused by cataracts, the technology developed by CAPPA will contribute to helping restore the sight of millions of patients in the coming years.

More information can be found here:
Alcon Laboratories
Alcon's Irish Facility
Wikipedia: Intraocular Lens
NHS (UK): Cataract Surgery Overview