Zeiss Medical Technology nominated for German Future Prize 2025

19 Sep 2025

Smile with Visumax package enables minimally invasive lenticule extraction to correct refractive errors.

Germany’s Office of the Federal President has announced the nominations for the German Future Prize 2025 (“Deutscher Zukunftspreis”). This year’s nominees include Dr. Mark Bischoff, Dr. Gregor Stobrawa and Dirk Mühlhoff from Zeiss Medical Technology (ZMT), for their project for minimally-invasive lenticule extraction to correct refractive errors.

The ZMT team has developed the highly precise technology required for this, branded Smile® with Visumax®. This technology enables surgeons to correct near-sightedness (myopia) and far-sightedness (hyperopia), with and without astigmatism.

Ultrashort pulses for surgery

Zeiss Smile with Visumax is setting new standards for refractive surgery and enables all laser vision correction steps in a single system. To achieve this, the developers combined a femtosecond laser with special high-performance optics and computer control. The technology enables precise focusing of intense but extremely short laser pulses inside the cornea without damaging the surface.

Because of the precise spatial alignment of millions of such focal points, the Visumax medical femtosecond laser separates a lens-shaped piece of tissue called a lenticule – first the back, then the front. In the final step, the laser system creates a 2 mm incision, through which the surgeon removes the lenticule. The shape of the anterior corneal surface changes, and this achieves the intended refractive correction. The incision, just a few millimeters wide, closes within a few hours.

“We are very pleased that, once again, a team from ZMT has been nominated for this prestigious award. Smile technology is the best example of how we succeed in going beyond the limits of what is possible,” said Maximilian Foerst, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec.

Healthcare sector trends

Every year, more than 50 million people worldwide reach adulthood with refractive errors that require correction, according to The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020.

The ZMT statement adds, “the team’s development offers an opportunity for clear vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses to precisely those people whose numbers are growing worldwide due to a variety of factors. The technology that the nominees developed for minimally invasive lenticule extraction surgery allows for the permanent correction of refractive errors.”

The company’s Dr. Mark Bischoff commented, “For those of us on the development team, it was always important to come up with innovative systems and procedures that allow surgeons to correct refractive errors with outstanding quality.

“This nomination is a major recognition for our team that for years has worked with tireless dedication, expertise and passion to enable as many people as possible to enjoy good vision without glasses or contact lenses.”

It took ten years from the start of the project to receive clinical approval for the treatment method in Europe. Since then, says Zeiss, “Smile technology has revolutionized refractive surgery worldwide. Surgeons in more than 80 countries now perform the minimally invasive lenticule extraction procedure using a Visumax. Globally, these have treated more than 12 million eyes with the Smile technology.”