29/07/2026
Introducing ECO-CAIRS™ – The Next Evolution in CAIRS Surgery
We are excited to present ECO-CAIRS™, the next evolution in CAIRS surgery, presented for the first time at Visit the booth E-255 at in London.
The CAIRS technique has rapidly gained international interest as a tissue-preserving treatment option for keratoconus, supported by three peer-reviewed clinical and laboratory studies.
As more surgeons adopt the technique, one challenge has become increasingly apparent: preparing high-quality CAIRS segments in the operating room.
Whether segments are cut manually or with a femtosecond laser, self-prepared grafts have several inherent limitations:
• They are not sterile, even when prepared under operating room conditions, and therefore have the potential to carry microorganisms.
• They contain viable keratocytes, which may contribute to immunological reactions.
• They are soft and difficult to manipulate. Although dehydration temporarily increases stiffness, they rapidly regain their softness upon contact with moisture, making implantation more demanding.
Industrial pre-cut segments overcome many of these challenges—but they require centralized manufacturing.
ECO-CAIRS™ changes this paradigm.
ECO-CAIRS addresses the practical challenges of self-prepared CAIRS segments by using EMAGine’s C-eye device for an ultra-high-fluence corneal cross-linking and a new sterilizable stainless-steel shaping plate. The plate accommodates up to four segments simultaneously and applies the 30 J/cm² total fluence established in our published studies.
Publications 2025 and 2026
• Extracorporeal Optimization of Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments (ECO-CAIRS) Using Ultra-high-Fluence Corneal Cross-linking (Journal of Refractive Surgery)
• Biomechanical Stiffening Effect in Ultra-High-Fluence Extracorporeal Cross-Linked Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments (Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery)
• Dehydration and Rehydration Behavior of Ultra-High-Fluence Extracorporeal Cross-Linked Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments (ECO-CAIRS) (Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery)
How do you see the future of standardized, surgeon-prepared corneal allogenic segments? We look forward to hearing your thoughts at ESCRS London.
For more details, contact EMAGine ([email protected]) or CSO Italia ([email protected]).
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