Virtual Reality in Ophthalmology: The New Frontier with Ashlie Leal

In this episode, Ashlie Leal, director of ophthalmology at FundamentalVR, discusses their fully immersive surgical training products, how virtual reality plays a role in training surgeons and more.

• Intro :38
• Welcome to another episode of Eye Care insider :52
• About Ashlie Leal 1:00
• Give me a little bit of your background – how you got into this industry and your role at FundamentalVR? 1:33
• Can you give our listeners some background about FundamentalVR as a company, and why should eye care professionals start paying attention to your company? 2:56
• Do you target training programs? ... Is there a certain focus to your company in regards to demographics? 4:12
• Is there any way you can describe [your virtual reality products] or any current product offers that you have that apply to eye care professionals? 7:30
• You’re using a headset and the two arms. Is that all you would need, or would you need some sort of base mannequin head with an eyeball simulation? 9:25
• You can do it anywhere, theoretically? And you can simulate different MIGS equipment and different ocular lens implants based on the tech simulating that equipment? 10:59
• So, the simulation is able to carry out these multiple, intricate steps? 12:03
• Is there current gene therapy that is utilizing your technology? Do you have a relationship with them in the sense that you provide the surgeons with the virtual reality simulations? 12:49
• Do you have any sort of data or any procedure done with virtual reality improving complication rate and efficiency? 14:02
• What does the future look like for virtual reality? What would you say is the major challenge, or what does your company hope to accomplish in the next few years or the decade? 15:30
• What’s that process look like for a company to approach you for virtual reality offering to train on a new device? How long does that process take, and what are the steps to assimilate their product into your technology? 17:14
• If someone wants to learn more, how can they contact you or your company for more information? 19:13
• Congratulations Ashlie and FundamentalVR 19:39
• Any final words to our listeners? 20:02
• Outro 20:39

Ashlie Leal is director of ophthalmology, FundamentalVR.

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Dr. Mali at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter @Healio_OSN. Leal can be reached on LinkedIn or at www.fundamentalsurgery.com.

Disclosures: Mali reports he is founder and CEO of Mali Enterprises; retina medical director at Macular Degeneration Association; grant/research support from Alimera Sciences, Allergan/AbbVie, Chengdu Kanghong Biotechnology, Genentech, Notal Vision, Regeneron and Santen; consulting for Alimera Sciences, Allergan/AbbVie, Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Kala Pharmaceuticals, Macular Degeneration Association, Notal Vision, Novartis, Regeneron and Sun Pharmaceuticals; speaker bureau for Alimera Sciences, Genentech, Kala Pharmaceuticals, Macular Degeneration Association, Notal Vision, Novartis and Sun Pharmaceuticals; and stock/shareholder with AbbVie and Regeneron. Leal reports she is director of ophthalmology at FundamentalVR.