Visionary Partnership: How Tech and Academia Are Sharpening Eye Care

MASON, OH – June 24, 2026

In a move that signals a significant shift in ophthalmic diagnostics, medical technology leader Haag-Streit USA and the esteemed OHSU Casey Eye Institute have announced a strategic partnership. The collaboration isn't about a new device or a singular breakthrough, but something potentially more impactful: creating a comprehensive educational framework designed to elevate the skill of eye care professionals worldwide. By uniting cutting-edge technology with deep academic and clinical expertise, this initiative aims to solve a persistent challenge in medicine—ensuring that the power of innovative tools is fully unlocked by the hands that wield them.

Set to launch this month, the partnership will establish an advanced training program focused on clinical perimetry, the science of mapping a patient's complete field of vision. Designed by the Casey Visual Field Reading Center (CVFRC) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the program promises to redefine the standard for how ophthalmologists, optometrists, and researchers use diagnostic technology to detect and manage sight-threatening diseases.

Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Application

The landscape of medical technology is littered with powerful devices whose full potential is rarely realized. A complex instrument is only as effective as its operator's ability to understand its nuances, interpret its data, and apply its findings. This new initiative directly confronts that gap.

"This collaboration underscores our commitment to not only developing cutting-edge technology but also ensuring that eye care professionals receive comprehensive training and education to utilize these tools effectively," said Andrew Jones, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Haag-Streit USA. "Our goal is to empower clinicians with the knowledge and skills necessary to make the most accurate diagnoses and improve patient outcomes."

The program will offer advanced live virtual training in both static and kinetic perimetry, centered on Haag-Streit's acclaimed Octopus 900 perimeter. Participants will move beyond basic operation to gain in-depth knowledge of the device's advanced features, data acquisition techniques, and optimal use for a range of conditions, from glaucoma and retinal pathologies to complex neurological disorders. It's a masterclass in moving from simply collecting data to generating true clinical insight.

The Science of Sight: Deconstructing Perimetry

For the uninitiated, perimetry may sound obscure, but it is a cornerstone of modern eye care. While a standard eye chart measures visual acuity (how clearly you see), perimetry assesses the entire visual field, including the peripheral vision where early signs of disease often hide. It is the gold standard for detecting and managing glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, and is critical for identifying visual field defects caused by strokes, brain tumors, and other optic nerve diseases.

At the heart of the new training program is the Haag-Streit Octopus 900. The device stands on a legacy of innovation, with its design principles tracing back to the Goldmann perimeter, the original 1945 standard-bearer co-developed by Haag-Streit. The modern Octopus 900 is a testament to that heritage, offering a comprehensive suite of tests in a single device. Its 90-degree bowl allows for full 180-degree peripheral testing, essential for driving assessments and disability evaluations.

More importantly, it incorporates innovations that address the practical challenges of clinical testing. Its TOP (Tendency Oriented Perimetry) strategy can complete a full threshold test in just two to four minutes, a significant reduction in time that enhances patient comfort and clinic workflow. Furthermore, built-in reliability features, like automated fixation loss recognition, ensure the trustworthiness of results, while its integrated EyeSuite software provides sophisticated analysis tools that help clinicians correlate structural damage with functional vision loss—a key aspect of modern glaucoma management.

A Synergy of Strengths: Industry Meets Academia

This partnership is a textbook example of how cross-sector collaboration can drive progress. Each partner brings a distinct and complementary set of strengths to the table. Haag-Streit, part of a Swiss group with over 165 years of history, provides the precision-engineered technology and a deep understanding of the global ophthalmic market. Its motto, "Look closer, see further," reflects a long-standing commitment to quality and innovation.

On the other side of the alliance is the OHSU Casey Eye Institute, an internationally recognized academic medical center synonymous with excellence in research, education, and patient care. The institute's Casey Visual Field Reading Center (CVFRC) is a powerhouse of expertise, with 40 years of experience working with perimetry devices and over two decades spent training clinical sites on proper data acquisition. The CVFRC has even developed custom Octopus 900 testing grids that are now used in clinical trials around the world.

"Partnering with Haag-Streit provides a valuable opportunity to elevate the standard of perimetry training," noted Shobana Aravind, Ph.D., Director of the Casey Visual Field Reading Center. "Access to Haag-Streit's technology, combined with our institution's deep clinical experience and educational leadership, will create a powerful learning environment. This initiative will translate into earlier and more accurate diagnoses, ultimately benefiting our patients."

Standardizing the Future of Ophthalmic Research

Beyond improving individual clinical practice, the initiative holds profound implications for the future of eye disease research. A major hurdle in large-scale, multi-site clinical trials is data variability. When different sites use equipment differently or follow inconsistent protocols, the resulting data can be noisy and unreliable, slowing down the development of new drugs and therapies.

The OHSU and Haag-Streit program directly targets this problem. A key component of the curriculum is dedicated to guiding research clinicians and study sites on developing standardized perimetry procedures by disease type. It will provide expert instruction on designing robust testing protocols, ensuring that the visual field data collected for research is consistent, comparable, and of the highest quality.

By leveraging OHSU's proven experience in guiding clinical trial sites, the partnership aims to create a global standard for perimetry in research. This could significantly accelerate the pace of discovery, providing researchers with more reliable endpoints to evaluate the efficacy of next-generation treatments.

In a market that includes formidable competitors and emerging technologies like portable VR perimeters, this collaboration carves out a unique and defensible position. It wisely posits that the future of diagnostics isn't just about faster or smaller hardware, but about building an ecosystem of expertise around it. By investing in the human element of medicine, Haag-Streit and OHSU are not just selling a device or a course; they are building a foundation for a future where the full promise of technology is realized, leading to better-preserved sight for millions of patients worldwide.