Haag-Streit has announced the winners of its 2026 Slit Lamp Imaging Competition, recognizing ophthalmic images and video that combine clinical interest with technical and visual quality.

Carmen Rodrigues, of Augenklinik Luzerner Kantonsspital, Switzerland, took first place in the image category for PFC-Bubble and Tube, captured using a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp. The image depicts a perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplet adjacent to an intraocular tube and was selected for its sharpness, technical precision, and visual simplicity. Rodrigues will receive a prize package valued at CHF 1,500 and have the image featured in an ophthalmic journal.

Second place was awarded to Utpal Sarkar, Disha Eye Hospitals, India, for Floating iris cyst in aqueous humor. Judges highlighted the image’s illumination, clarity, and visual impact. Katie Lachut-Yevich, VCU Health, US, placed third with an image of a resorbed fibrous cataract, recognized for its detailed depiction of the clinical finding.

In the video category, Tony Thieu, Christiana Care, US, was named the winner for a slit lamp examination demonstrating keratic precipitates associated with anterior uveitis. Captured using the Haag-Streit Elara 900, the video was praised for clearly demonstrating the distribution and morphology of precipitates across the corneal endothelium, as well as for its steady examination technique and potential value as a clinical teaching resource.

Now in its eighth year, the competition attracted 311 entries from 25 countries. Submissions were judged on image quality, technical execution, and disease interest by a panel spanning ophthalmology, medical imaging, and professional photography.

A further seven images were shortlisted, covering findings including corneal dystrophy, iris atrophy, corneal graft decompensation, Marfan syndrome, and anterior chamber vitreous.

Source: Haag-Streit.