ZEISS Debuts MYO 200 Biometer for Myopia Management in Hong Kong, Built on ZEISS “Gold Standard” Technology to Safeguard the Visual Health of Children and Adolescents

HONG KONG, Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global optical technology leader ZEISS debuted the ZEISS MYO 200 Biometer for Myopia Management in Hong Kong on November 28^th, to provide more precise myopia control and improved visual health for children and adolescents. Specifically tailored for children and adolescents, MYO 200 features enhanced accuracy and convenience using ZEISS’s key optical technologies, supporting eye care professionals in providing more effective myopia management. Playing an essential role in ZEISS’s myopia management and vision care workflow, ZEISS MYO 200 seamlessly integrates with the ZEISS myopia management software, providing accurate biometric measurements and analysis to monitor the visual development trends of children and adolescents, enabling eye care professionals to develop personalized intervention plans that achieve better results.

Myopia remains a serious concern for young people in Hong Kong today, exacerbated by the increasing popularity of online learning and increased use of electronic products. According to the Hong Kong Children Eye Study conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, over 40% of eight-year-old children in Hong Kong are already affected by myopia.^[1] To combat this issue, Hong Kong has actively promoted numerous eye care education campaigns and initiatives, with an emphasis on early screening and regular eye exams. This situation has made the demand for precise optical measurement devices increasingly urgent. However, existing measurement devices are primarily designed for traditional hospitals and large medical institutions, leaving them unable to meet the surging demand for eye health management from communities, schools, eye clinics, and retail optical stores. The ZEISS MYO 200 Biometer for Myopia Management has been launched to meet this need.

“As a pioneer in the medical field, especially in eye healthcare, ZEISS is committed to addressing medical and health needs through product development and technological innovation, with a particular focus on children and adolescents,” said Dr. Werner Schaefer, Head of Business Development ZEISS MED China. “Amid the growing prevalence of myopia, we seek to harness revolutionary technologies to promote precise myopia management, helping children and adolescents slow down the progression of myopia and reduce related risks. To achieve this we have launched MYO 200, which we hope will play a major role in enhancing healthy vision and lay a solid foundation for full-lifecycle eye health.”

“In recent years, the high prevalence of myopia in Hong Kong has been accompanied by a trend of earlier onset and faster progression, which has raised widespread concern among parents,” said Jerome Chan, Head of ZEISS Vision Sales & Service, HK & Macau. “However, myopia can be prevented and controlled. Early detection and assessment of myopia risk combined with timely intervention can slow its progression. The launch of ZEISS MYO 200 is a significant initiative from ZEISS in delivering accurate biometric measurement for myopia control. We look forward to seeing it play a crucial role in early myopia management across various scenarios, promoting myopia assessment and benefiting more children and adolescents.”

Monitoring Axial Length Changes to Detect Myopia Risk Early

Many parents feel perplexed when confronted with their children’s vision problems, as myopia progression is usually gradual with no obvious symptoms in the early stages. By the time vision issues are noticed, the optimal window for intervention has often already passed. However, severe myopia is not merely a matter of blurred vision – once it progresses to high myopia, the risks of complications, including early-onset cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration significantly increase, posing severe threats to vision health. Research from the American Academy of Ophthalmology indicates that early intervention strategies for myopia management can significantly slow its progression, lowering the risk of future vision damage.^[2]

The mechanism of myopia development is complex, with axial length being a key factor affecting its progression. While the eye’s axial length naturally grows as part of physical development, children with myopia experience significantly faster growth in axial length compared to those with normal vision. This abnormal growth alters ocular geometry, exacerbating vision problems. For instance, children who begin developing myopia at age 10 may show accelerated growth in axial length by age 9. Therefore, regular and precise monitoring of axial length is essential to allow professionals to implement timely interventions, adjust management plans, and identify high-risk cases early, ultimately minimizing the likelihood of developing into high myopia in the future.

Flexibly Applying “Gold Standard“ Biometry to Facilitate Early Intervention

The newly launched ZEISS MYO 200 builds on ZEISS’s core technology in optical biometry, which has been clinically proven by billions of measurements globally. Recognized as the “gold standard” in optical biometry for its exceptional accuracy and reliability, ZEISS MYO 200 delivers unmatched precision thanks to its advanced technology and rigorous quality controls. The ZEISS MYO 200 features a user-friendly design, meeting the demand for faster and easier measurement while accommodating the special needs of children and adolescents who find it difficult to maintain focus for extended periods to guarantee accuracy in measurement.

The ZEISS MYO 200 is designed to be used in settings far beyond traditional hospitals and large medical institutions, making precise optical measurements available at eye clinics and optical retail stores. Its auto alignment and quick scan technology effectively shorten examination time, while its telecentric keratometry technology improves the success rate of corneal curvature measurements, making it user-friendly even for beginners. The all-in-one design with touch screen and joystick ensures easy operation of the device, while its flexible measurement modes enable professionals to conduct myopia evaluations efficiently and accurately in different scenarios. These advantages greatly enhance the accessibility of precise eye examinations, enabling children and adolescents to receive accurate myopia risk assessments and long-term monitoring close to home.

Efficient Full Process Management with Diverse Solutions for Myopia Management

The ZEISS MYO 200 is more than just a high-precision optical biometry device – it plays a vital role in ZEISS’s myopia management workflow. This comprehensive solution monitors changes in axial length and refractive power and covers multiple services such as precise eye exams and glasses fitting, personalized lens and frame options, daily care routines, and eye development monitoring. The ZEISS MYO 200 supports eye development monitoring by providing critical data, reinforcing the synergy between different stages and promoting efficiency in the entire myopia management process, building a robust defense for the eye health of children and adolescents.

Addressing children’s visual health requires a concerted effort from the entire society. To this end, ZEISS actively collaborates with medical and research institutions as well as industry peers to continuously bring innovative solutions to the field of eye health. The ZEISS MyoCare Lenses are among the collaborative outcomes of these endeavors. The ZEISS MyoCare Lenses are among the collaborative outcomes of these endeavors.

The lenses utilize Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s patented Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) technology, contributing to global myopia management and development in children. This collaboration enables ZEISS to apply PolyU’s patented myopia control technology in professional optical products, combining authoritative academic research with cutting-edge optical technology to provide parents and children with more professional and effective myopia management solutions. The lenses also integrate ZEISS’s patented C.A.R.E. technology, offering comprehensive protection for children’s visual health. A 12-month clinical study has shown that 90% of children using ZEISS MyoCare Lenses demonstrate effectively slowed myopia progression. Notably, clinical evidence shows that even for children with myopic parents, who are especially at risk of developing myopia themselves, the lenses likewise effectively controlled myopia progression, making myopia inheritance no longer a foregone conclusion. This product underscores ZEISS’s ongoing efforts and unwavering commitment to myopia control and vision care.

The launch of the ZEISS MYO 200 introduces a more advanced measurement tool for precise myopia management for children and adolescents, further strengthening the technological foundation for myopia prevention. In the future, ZEISS will continue to lead the industry, collaborate with a wide range of partners to explore applications of innovative technologies in myopia management, and provide superior, comprehensive solutions to safeguard children’s vision health, creating a brighter future together.

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 10.1 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2023).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world’s leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company’s significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS’ technology and market leadership. At 15 percent of revenue, ZEISS spent a record 1.5 billion euros on research and development in the past fiscal year.

The ZEISS Group is represented in around 50 countries. Over 43,000 employees work at more than 30 production sites, more than 60 sales and service locations, and 30 research and development facilities worldwide. The company is headquartered in Oberkochen (Germany). The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com