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Imagine a contact lens that could be programmed to change power, or colour or send signals remotely to your practice with information about tear constituency or wearing habits. Imagine spectacles for ambyopia treatment that could let you know how compliant the patient was with wearing them. Imagine an instrument that could undertake accurate full threshold fields objectively in under a minute. What about night vision contact lenses? Or an internet/smartphone platform refraction test that actually works? Digital palpation gloves that accurately measure intraocular pressure!
This year Keeler and Optician are pleased to launch the Open Innovations Competition for 2012. The aim is to encourage readers to submit their design or proposal for the invention or innovation they feel would make the greatest difference to the practice of optometry and optics in general.
Keeler, as the sole UK-based manufacturer of ophthalmoscopes, slit-lamps and so on, has a strong tradition of research and development bringing new designs and innovations to the market. From the moment Charles D Keeler set up his practice in London in 1917, he and his son Charles H were keen on developing new products, the latter patenting his first instrument in 1926 at the tender age of just 23. From some of the original direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes, through to handheld diagnostic instrument sets, the Pulsair, novel low vision aids, a wireless LED indirect headset ophthalmoscope and the latest in portable slit-lamp camera attachments allowing image capture on a mobile phone, Keeler has always invested in research and development. And now it wants to encourage Optician readers to develop an idea of their own - and who knows, it might be able to develop, patent and manufacture your idea.
Two categories
There are two categories for readers to enter and from which our judges will select a winner:
? The most imaginative innovation or invention
This is an opportunity to really let your creative juices flow and come up with an idea for an instrument or concept that you feel may have the greatest impact or be the most useful or helpful in the practice of eye care. The idea can be completely outlandish and judges will be looking to reward imagination and originality even if the original concept might seem completely unrealisable at first. And don't forget, for this category you can be as outrageous as you like - the judges will be impressed by the most imaginitive ideas.
? The innovation or invention most likely to succeed commercially
Here the judges will be looking at the feasibility of an idea, in terms of not only how it might be realistically manufactured, but also the potential commercial viability of the product, in the UK and globally. The winner of this category is likely to have submitted a simple business plan or model, perhaps even sales projections, identification of specific markets, and ideas about promotion and marketing.
Prizes
Each category winner will receive a handsome prize worth several hundreds of pounds. More importantly, if an idea is thought practicable, Keeler UK will be able to create professional artwork representation of your idea for you to display in your practice, make up a model prototype, and if the idea really has mileage, help fund the patent and, perhaps actually manufacture your innovation and offer you a royalty deal. If your idea has global appeal then this could be life changing.
The competition is now open, so start dreaming up those ideas. One day your invention might be used by eye care practitioners around the globe. ?