Innovation, Research and Technology 
The Foundation works in some of the poorest and most isolated regions in developing countries and in Australia.
These difficult environments present many challenges such as poor transport options, a lack of health information, a shortage of equipment and surgical consumables and in many cases, an unreliable power supply.
Overcoming these challenges requires a commitment to innovative thinking, a willingness to take risks and a determination that change for the better can be made.
Over the past 15 years we have worked closely with local partners to find innovative solutions that complement and build on our partners existing knowledge and resources.
With our partners we have:
- Designed innovative technologies to overcome the problems of performing cataract surgery in remote locations and reduce the cost of surgical supplies, particularly intraocular lenses
- Developed new surgical techniques and patient management systems
- Initiated and coordinated several major research studies within Indigenous Australia and our eye health programs to enure that we have the best possible information on which to base our program plans and activities.
Visit Our Programs for the latest research The Foundation has initiated and conducted in the countries where we work.
Our achievements
Together with our partners, The Foundation has developed some ground-breaking innovations including:
- Local manufacture of intraocular lenses (used in cataract surgery) in Eritrea and Nepal, including a foldable IOL. Find out more about the IOL laboratories.
- Development of the Fred Hollows 2000 Lathe for the manufacture of IOLs to significantly boost the volume produced by the IOL laboratories and improve the product finish.
- Design of lightweight, affordable and portable ophthalmic equipment, suitable for use in remote locations and mobile eye camps – includes the Fred Hollows Microscope and Fred Hollows Nd YAG ophthalmic laser.
- Use of standardised production line surgical techniques to maximise the number of people treated in hospitals and remote locations.
- The ‘sutureless’ small incision cataract surgical technique, a safer and faster way to perform cataract surgery, developed by Dr Sanduk Ruit, long term partner of The Foundation.
- A computerised Eye Health Information Management System to integrate patient data across hospital departments and enable statistical analysis of information. This system has been introduced in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Our Commitment 2006-2010
Our Strategic Framework for the coming years outlines our commitment to:
- Monitor, measure and report on the impact of the work that we do
- Build our research capacity.
