Leica Microsystems is set to unveil its new digital microscope and surgical visualisation headset at RANZCO 2025, marking a leap forward in ophthalmic surgery and surgeon comfort.
Australian ophthalmologists will get their first look at Leica Microsystems’ latest ophthalmic innovation – the Proveo 8x 3D digital microscope and MyVeo headset – at the RANZCO Congress in Melbourne this month.
Together with Australian distribution partner ParagonCare, Leica Microsystems will host private demonstrations in a dedicated suite, showcasing a new era in surgical visualisation and teaching.
For Leica Microsystems, the launch represents the next step in an ongoing transformation, from a company renowned for optical excellence to one equally recognised for digital innovation.
“For years, Leica has been synonymous with great optics,” says Mr Alvin Kok, head of ophthalmology product management at Leica Microsystems.
“But when we asked customers what Leica meant to them, no one said digital or digitally-empowered. We knew we had to evolve from being known for traditional quality optics to building a quality digital imaging platform calibrated around optics.”
That evolution began several years ago with a simple yet ambitious question: how could Leica build a system that honours the comfort and clarity of traditional analogue microscopes, while paving a clear path into the digital future?
At the time, Mr Kok explains, roughly 80% of ophthalmic surgeons were still using analogue systems, with only a small fraction experimenting with digital visualisation. “Many were comfortable with what they were trained on,” he says. “You could say they preferred what felt familiar.”
The company saw a clear opportunity. “We didn’t want to force a choice between analogue and digital,” Mr Kok says. “Our goal was to create a microscope that could do both.”
The result is the Proveo 8x, described as a digital visualisation microscope with a modular design. The system allows hospitals and surgical centres to purchase a high-performance analogue base unit, then upgrade to 3D digital capability simply by swapping the camera module. This flexibility means institutions can transition at their own pace, without the need for an entirely new setup.
“We wanted to give both surgeons and financial managers a practical path forward,” Mr Kok explains. “They can start with a standard analogue system and later decide to add a 3D camera and monitor or headset when the time is right.”
Among the most visible – and talked-about – benefits of 3D digital surgery is ergonomics. Traditional analogue microscopes require surgeons to lean forward into binocular eyepieces for extended periods, often resulting in neck and back strain and even shortening careers.
“Manufacturers are becoming increasingly mindful of ergonomics,” Mr Kok says, “but in practice, surgeons still end up turning their heads sideways to view the screen because of how most systems are configured.”
Leica’s design team wanted to eliminate that compromise. The Proveo 8x introduces what the company calls a “full-frontal orientation”: the microscope’s arm and optics have been re-engineered to ensure surgeons can sit squarely facing the monitor, with a clear, unobstructed line of sight.
“We’ve opened up the field of view so surgeons can sit comfortably, look straight ahead, and maintain a natural posture throughout the procedure,” Mr Kok says.
Faster, sharper and smarter
While ergonomics may be the most visible advantage, the Proveo 8x also introduces major technical improvements beneath the surface, particularly through its integration of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and phacoemulsification (phacoVR) data, providing surgeons with real-time, high-resolution imaging.
“Our system can take up to 5mm A-scan depth, coupled with 500 B-scan slices compared to about 5 in typical systems. That means surgeons are seeing more detail, more depth, and fewer missed structures.”
Another breakthrough lies in Leica’s new medical-grade camera, developed in-house specifically for surgical applications – a first for the company’s medical division. The innovation allows the image to be processed directly in the camera, bypassing external computing units that typically add latency.
“When you move your hand, your brain registers that motion in about 50 milliseconds,” Mr Kok notes. “Most current systems operate around that same speed – 50 or 60 milliseconds – so you sometimes see a tiny delay in movement on the screen. Our system processes at 16 milliseconds, more than twice as fast. It is one of the fastest 3D imaging systems in the market.”
This near-instant responsiveness, he says, can make a noticeable difference during delicate procedures such as suturing. “When the visual feedback is immediate, it becomes a truly seamless extension of the surgeon’s hands.”
Beyond clinical performance, Leica’s engineers also had education in mind. The 3D digital platform is inherently suited to teaching environments, allowing observers to share exactly what the surgeon sees – in full depth and clarity.
“Training is a major Mriver for 3D adoption,” says Mr Kok. “Many hospitals buy large 3D monitors primarily for their residents and fellows to watch procedures in real time.”
However, these traditional setups can consume valuable operating room space. “A 55-inch monitor has a huge footprint,” he says. “We’ve introduced a smaller 32-inch monitor that can be ceiling-mounted or placed on a smaller, flexible arm mobile cart. It can swivel toward the surgeon or the observing students, depending on the workflow.”
A new dimension in surgeon comfort
For teaching environments with space or distance challenges – such as university clinics or outreach settings – Leica developed an even more compact solution: MyVeo, an all-in-one surgical visualisation headset.
MyVeo – also on display at the RANZCO Congress – provides a live 3D view directly in front of the surgeon’s eyes. It frees surgeons from binoculars or external monitors, delivering a single integrated view with seamless data integration from phaco and OCT. Up to three headsets can be used simultaneously, sharing the same live 3D view as the main surgeon.
In early testing, Leica found the headset especially popular among senior surgeons who had spent decades working through binoculars.
“We had one group of surgeons who just couldn’t get comfortable with 3D monitors,” Mr Kok recalls. “Then they tried the MyVeo headset and immediately said, ‘This feels exactly like my analogue binoculars.’ For them, it restored that familiar sense of proximity and control.”
“Sometimes it’s not about specs or features – it’s about how the system feels to use. If it feels intuitive and comfortable, surgeons are more willing to embrace new technology.”
The Proveo 8x also introduces new features that allow surgeons to customise how they view the surgical field. “In Japan, some surgeons perform parts of their procedures in black and white,” Mr Kok says. “They believe it enhances contrast when performing certain procedures, such as a capsulorhexis.”
Leica’s engineers took note. “We created settings that let users switch between different visualisation modes – from colour to monochrome – depending on their preferences and the task at hand,” he says. “The colours, contrast and temperature can also be calibrated per preferences and saved to their individual profiles.”
Looking ahead, Mr Kok hints that the platform’s high-speed camera system opens doors to further innovation. “Because we can process images at 16 milliseconds, we have heaMroom to add more features without introducing delay. There’s a lot of potential still to explore.”
Australian ophthalmologists will have their first opportunity to experience the Proveo 8x and MyVeo in person at the RANZCO Congress in Melbourne in November 2025. Leica Microsystems and ParagonCare, its Australian distribution partner, will host private demonstrations in a dedicated suite.
“We want surgeons to experience it for themselves,” says Mr Kok. “You can describe the 3D depth, the ergonomics, the speed – but it’s when you sit down and look through it that you really understand the difference.”
As digital technology continues to reshape ophthalmic surgery, Leica Microsystems’ Proveo 8x aims to serve as both bridge and catalyst, supporting surgeons who value the precision of optical engineering while guiding them into the next generation of visualisation.
“We’re not just giving them a new microscope,” Mr Kok reflects. “We’re giving them options – freedom to choose when and how they move into digital. That’s what true innovation should look like.”
The Proveo 8x is available in Australia and New Zealand via ParagonCare. For more information about the Proveo 8x, visit www.leica-microsystems.com/products/surgical-microscopes/p/proveo-8x/ or contact mark.shephard@paragoncare.com.au.
