EVRS awards intraocular surgery simulator developers

Markus Schill, PhD and Clemens Wagner, PhD of VRMagic GmbH have received the European VitreoRetinal Society's annual Relja Zivojnovic Award for outstanding contributions to the field of vitreoretinal surgery. The award was conferred in recognition of the virtual reality ocular surgery simulator, EYESi, that Dr Schill and Dr Wagner developed to enable surgeons to broaden their experience and practice and refine techniques for vitreoretinal surgery without endangering patient safety or comfort.

The EYESi machine - developed by a team of scientists led by Dr Schill and Dr Wagner at the University of Mannheim, Germany - was launched in 2001 to coincide with the establishment of VRMagic, the company formed by seven of the scientists involved in the creation of the EYESi. The training platform allows surgeons to practice techniques under uniform conditions, but can also be adjusted for individual needs. The machine, which can also be used for cataract surgery training, is now available around the world.

The award was presented during a ceremony held on September 8 during the EVRS annual meeting, held this year in Prague, the Czech Republic.

From left to right: Dr Klaus Lucke, Vice President EVRS, Dr Markus Schill and Dr Clemens Wagner, VRmagic, at the award ceremony in Prague on the 8th September 2008.