From HOA Correction Theory to Practice at EFCLIN 2026

April 2026 - Events / Industry Insights

From concept to workflow, HOA correction is becoming production-ready. EFCLIN 2026 showed how laboratories can integrate it in practice. Explore the technology →

EFCLIN 2026 in Sitges once again confirmed its role as a key meeting point for the specialty contact lens industry. Set by the sea near Barcelona, the congress brought together laboratories, practitioners, and technology providers to exchange ideas and explore how innovation can translate into everyday practice.

For us, this year’s edition was particularly meaningful, with a strong focus on Higher-Order Aberration (HOA) correction, approached both from a strategic and a practical perspective.

In daily practice, many patients still experience visual disturbances that go beyond standard refractive error, including halos, glare, starburst effects, and ghosting. These symptoms highlight the limitations of conventional correction and explain why HOAs are becoming a central topic, not only clinically, but also for laboratories looking to expand their capabilities.

From Theory to Practice

What became clear throughout EFCLIN is that the conversation has evolved. HOA correction is no longer discussed only as an advanced concept, but increasingly as something that needs to work within real laboratory environments. The focus has shifted toward integration: how to introduce these capabilities without disrupting existing workflows, while maintaining efficiency, control, and scalability. While still a niche segment, several trends point to a growing demand for more advanced visual correction:

1. BY 2030 +22% OF THE POPULATION WILL BE OVER 60

   Ageing increases ocular complexity, driving demand for customized solutions

2. 60% REPORT VISUAL QUALITY ISSUES POST-SURGERY

   Residual optical imperfections remain a challenge after refractive procedures

3. KERATOCONUS IS MORE PREVALENT THAN REPORTED

   Managing irregular corneas requires increasingly precise and adaptable designs

Understanding HOAs: A Strategic Business Opportunity

Our contribution began with the lecture Understanding HOAs, delivered by Lorenzo Benelli, where the topic was framed from a business and strategic perspective. Rather than focusing only on optical theory, the discussion explored why laboratories should start preparing now.

Within this context, HOA correction was positioned not just as a technical feature, but as an emerging opportunity for laboratories. A key part of the lecture focused on the different approaches to adoption. Internal development and ready-made solutions were compared in terms of their impact. This helped frame HOA correction as a strategic decision, where laboratories must balance control, speed, and scalability depending on their positioning on the market.

Working with HOAs: A Practical Workflow

The Wetlabs translated this strategic view into hands-on experience. Across four sessions, participants followed the full HOA workflow using real cases, moving step by step from data to finished lens.

1. ABERROMETRY DATA ACQUISITION

   Capturing reliable wavefront data on a stable lens fit

2. APPLICATION OF CORRECTION

   Integrating HOA data within the design process

3. MANUFACTURING WITH ENVISUS

   Producing lenses within the standard laboratory workflow

4. MEASUREMENT AND VALIDATION

   Verifying results using advanced inspection tools

Seeing the full process in action made one point clear: HOA correction can be implemented as a structured, repeatable workflow, not an exception, enabling laboratories to adopt advanced optics with confidence in everyday production.

Collaboration Across the Ecosystem

Another key aspect of the Wetlabs was the collaborative environment, bringing together multiple technologies into a single, connected workflow. This end-to-end setup reflected a broader industry direction, where value comes from integration. Instruments, software, and manufacturing processes are increasingly expected to operate within a unified environment.

1. OVITZ xwave → Aberrometry data acquisition

2. FocalPoints enVisus → Production of HOA lenses

3. Lambda-X → Inspecting HOA lenses with the NIMOevo

Looking Ahead

EFCLIN provided a clear snapshot of where the industry is heading. The focus is no longer on isolated innovation, but on making advanced capabilities usable within real production environments.

HOA correction is moving in this direction, from concept to structured, scalable implementation. For laboratories, the challenge is no longer whether to adopt it, but how to do so in a way that fits their workflow and long-term strategy.

The objective is to make HOA correction a practical part of laboratory workflows, addressing real patient challenges while maintaining efficiency and control. Breakthroughs only matter when they work in practice, and when they make business sense. This is why enVisus has been developed as a solid, production-ready solution, enabling laboratories to adopt advanced optics with confidence and scale.

Filippo Selden, CEO Advance Medical

AI Developed by Advance Medical with generative AI assistance and substantive human editorial oversight.