John Trefethen
Global Vice President, Marketing & Product Design
Topcon Healthcare
What are the biggest unmet needs – and how are you working to address them?
My short answer is smart design. There have been brilliant developments in medical technologies in the last decade; however, many of these products were developed in silos without consideration for the larger ecosystems that they serve. In the healthcare space, we face two significant care challenges globally.
Firstly, there has been huge growth in the patient population, but care is constrained due to the physical access limitations of diagnostic devices. Secondly, there is often restrictive and unnecessary data congestion and inconsistencies, frequently caused by the devices themselves.
To address these challenges, Topcon Healthcare is focused on smart design and developing technologies and products that integrate for a more proactive approach to patient diagnosis and treatment. Our smart devices help optimize quality, speed, and reach of care. By incorporating robotics, automation, AI, and remote capabilities, Topcon helps eye health professionals deliver diagnostic and treatment options for better patient outcomes in both rural and urban communities.
Inherent to our smart software approach is an open architecture. This allows healthcare professionals to build a connected practice for remarkable efficiency gains. Our open ecosystem is not just for the clinical setting, but also for other health networks that rely on data consistently across time and space. The Topcon Corporation leverages this smart design in three key areas: agriculture, infrastructure, and healthcare to help solve today’s most pressing global issues, including shrinking land resources, population density growth, and age-related disease.
What is Topcon’s most exciting project?
That’s easy. It’s a project that leverages one of Topcon’s most exciting smart technologies: robotic diagnostics. Right now, at a top urban-based university, a remote pilot is underway that will give thousands of patients access to eye health professionals, without traveling from their rural communities.
Utilizing Topcon’s automated OCTs and our new remotely controlled diagnostic instruments, doctors engage with patients, diagnose conditions, and recommend treatment through our connected ecosystems. This is making huge inroads towards addressing the impending epidemic in eye health today: insufficient access. The potential for remote diagnostics is urgent and tremendous, and Topcon’s technology is well positioned to meet these changing needs as the eye care landscape evolves.
What should we expect from Topcon over the next five years?
As healthcare continues to advance, we at Topcon are inspired by the possibilities and dedicated to providing smart solutions. We’re joining the efforts for early detection and prevention, and are committed to a more proactive provider–patient relationship. We will continue to push the boundaries of technology that allow all of us to see eye health differently.
