The HD Disposable OCULUS LenZ lens has been reshaping vitreoretinal surgery since its introduction in 2017, combining optical precision, ease-of-use, and disposable convenience to challenge the status quo and how surgeons view the retina.
Few products can persuade an ophthalmic surgeon-scientist to walk away from their own invention.
But for Dr Hyun Seung Yang, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Laboratory of Advanced Optical Imaging at Seoul National University, the OCULUS HD Disposable LenZ did exactly that.
It was 2020-2021, and the retinal subspecialist and expert vitreomacular surgeon was applying his PhD background in optics to address shortcomings he – and others he was not aware of – had identified in vitreoretinal surgery visualisation.
“I once designed a similar type of lens myself,” Dr Yang tells Insight. “But shortly after this disposable LenZ lens was introduced, offering a wider field of view at a lower cost, I stopped developing my new lens.”
For someone with deep expertise in optical design, such a concession speaks volumes about the technology he was confronted with – and eventually adopted.
The OCULUS HD Disposable LenZ emerged in 2017 as an alternative to more traditional, reusable glass lenses for fundus viewing in vitreoretinal surgeries.
It was designed to work on the RESIGHT system [ZEISS], one of the most widely used non-contact fundus viewing systems in retinal surgery, which competes in the market with OCULUS’ own BIOM system.
OCULUS had already gained recognition for its reusable WiFi HD lens (gold lens) available on the BIOM, with one of the key selling points being the widefield view it offers spanning 60-130 degrees. So the company’s optical engineers turned their attention to replicating this with a disposable option that could be used on the RESIGHT platform.
With its disposable format, the company says LenZ provides consistent optical clarity while eliminating the need for sterilisation and reducing the risk of scratches or long-term wear.
For Dr Yang, who’s also the director of the Vitreo-Retinal Center, Seoul Shinsegae Eye Center, these advantages remain relevant today. Not only did it help to avoid the downtime, cost, and infection risk associated with reprocessing reusable lenses, it also meant he could perform nearly all surgeries without switching between lens types. “By using a disposable lens instead of a reusable glass lens, we avoid repeated sterilisation and the gradual chemical or physical damage that can occur over time,” Dr Yang explains.
“That means there’s less risk of fogging, scratches, or contamination. And because the lens is always ready to use immediately and consistently clear, I experience fewer lens-related interruptions.”
The support of rock-solid instrumentation, according to Dr Yang, equates to one less thing to worry about in often high-stakes retinal work.
As he puts it, “better vision for your patient begins with better vision for you as a surgeon”.
“LenZ has different curvatures on each surface, and the upper side is thicker and stiffer. This design may help provide a sharp, magnified central image along with a wider peripheral view,” he notes.
This improved peripheral visualisation is a major advantage in surgeries like panretinal photocoagulation or subretinal fluid removal.
“This lens offers a distortion-free peripheral view, which really improves outcomes when I’m working in the far periphery. Since the lens has no haptic ring, I can reach the far peripheral regions by gently tilting the eyeball, even in highly myopic eyes.
“Because of this improved view, I often need less scleral depression or assistance from other clinicians.”
This ability to transition between central and peripheral views without switching out the lens is especially important in complex cases.
“With this single lens, both central and peripheral work are easy, and the view stays clear even if the patient has a multifocal IOL or some corneal opacity,” he says.
According to Mr Richard White, regional director for OCULUS Asia, this is why surgeons are drawn to the design.
He contrasts it with dual-lens systems, which require withdrawing instruments, flipping lenses, refocusing, and re-entering – each step increasing inefficiency and potential for visual disruption.
“That’s why surgeons valued our WiFi lens, with its wide 60-130-degree view, and why we created a disposable version with the same optics and performance, but compatible with this fundus viewing platform,” White explains.
That love of OCULUS optics goes even deeper with Dr Yang. For example, with delicate manoeuvres – like membrane peeling or fluid-air exchanges – the LenZ’s depth of field provides enhanced stereopsis.
“Because of the clear central magnification while maintaining a good depth perception, I can keep the focus easily without frequent refocusing during ILM (internal limiting membrane) peeling,” he says.
“In practice, the central image quality remains clearer, even in patients with media opacities such as intraocular air or gas, a corneal opacity, or a multifocal IOL. This consistent clarity makes fine, delicate manoeuvres much more precise and efficient.”
As a result, he can use a single LenZ lens for nearly 100% of cases.
“This really reduces the time spent switching lenses or refocusing, and it minimises any unnecessary manipulations during surgery.”
Those unnecessary manipulations are further reduced with other LenZ features.
White explains how the lens design makes it easier for the surgeon to approach the eye at a steeper angle in high myopes or paediatric cases.
“Because it’s a smaller setup, you can really get in there for those patients. And since it’s disposable, we don’t need the metal rim to hold the lens in place – the whole thing is made from a single piece of moulded plastic.”
Dr Yang has discovered another ergonomic benefit. Traditional lenses can sit close to the cornea, sometimes restricting instrument manoeuvrability.
“One of the advantages of this lens design is that it provides a bit more working space off the cornea,” he says. “With this lens sitting a bit farther away – about four to five millimetres – it makes it easier to manoeuvre instruments. Ultimately, this means less fatigue for the surgeon over prolonged procedures.”
The LenZ also shines in modern operating rooms that are increasingly reliant on 3D visualisation systems, where imperfections in reusable glass lenses become magnified.
“With this lens’s clear and scratch-free surface, you get a sharper image, better contrast, and far fewer issues with glare or artifacts on the 3D display,” Dr Yang says.
Cost effective in the long run
So with these benefits in mind, how does LenZ stack up – especially for cost- and eco-conscious hospital operators?
White says OCULUS has seen rapid uptake in targeted markets.
“It’s one of those products where the benefits become clear almost instantly. A surgeon goes into theatre with it, and by the time they come out, they’ve already experienced the difference for themselves. That immediate understanding sparks a conversation for routine use in theatres,” he says.
Dr Yang adds: “You might think this disposable lens is quite expensive, but it is actually cost-effective in the long run. By eliminating the need for repeated sterilisation and reducing the downtime associated with repairing glass lenses, we keep surgeries on schedule and minimise unexpected costs.”
And for those hesitant to transition, his advice is simple: “Adapting to this wonderful lens is quite straightforward and can actually make surgeries easier and more efficient, so there’s really little reason not to give it a try.”
