Ophthalmic standards are numerous, reflecting the range and complexity of ophthalmic procedures, instruments, implants, and devices. Given the delicateness intrinsic to working with something as fragile as the human eye, the desire and need for standardization is an obvious one.
Everything involved, ranging from ophthalmic implants and the surgical tools that interact with them, to spectacle and contact lenses and the products that care for them on an ongoing basis, must all work together safely and smoothly even when everything does not originate from the same provider. Non-surgical procedures, such as those testing visual acuity or guiding ophthalmic data processing and interchange information, also have to be standardized to assure both ophthalmic practitioners and patients that their information is reliable and accurate, and therefore useful.
Standards for the ophthalmic industry are published by Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) such as The Vision Council, as well as national and international SDOs like ISO, DIN, BS, ONORM, and so forth. These standards are developed through a consensus process inviting input from all interested and affected parties, aiming to produce a finished specification that is fair to all. In this way, the ongoing standardization effort in the ophthalmic industry promotes innovation without compromising the safety and reliability of ophthalmic products and procedures.
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