Aier Eye Hospital Group Co., Ltd.

Accelerating the accumulation of data assets and popularizing high-level ophthalmic medical services with artificial intelligence - AIER continues to work with the Chinese Academy of Sciences on digital ophthalmology development strategies

Speaking of artificial intelligence, the ChatGPT AI chatbot, which has recently exploded in the global technology and venture capital community, can chat, create and write code at the same time. Bill Gates commented on ChatGPT, saying that the emergence of this AI technology is as historically significant as the birth of the Internet and the personal computer. Its emergence has once again set off a wave of public concern about AI.

Recently, representatives of the U.S. Department of State and the European Commission signed an "Executive Agreement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technology in the Public Interest" to reach a large-scale cooperation agreement to strengthen data sharing among allies. The signing of this "administrative agreement" is an important part of the U.S. and Europe to create a technology trade circle, but ultimately it is the judgment of both sides on their strategic position in the digital ecology, as well as the future competitive landscape. Nowadays, Europe and the United States are embracing each other, and countries around the world are playing increasingly fierce games around the barriers to cross-border data circulation, data globalization, data sovereignty jurisdiction, etc. Solving international data barriers and releasing global data value has become a very challenging and realistic issue.

As a multinational company that is rapidly promoting digitalization, AIER will continue to work with the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICTC) on development strategies in the face of these international challenges. Recently, the "AIER - Institute of Computing Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences 2023 Strategic Planning Meeting" was successfully held in Changsha. The meeting brought together 11 researchers in the field of computing from CAS and more than 100 clinical experts from AIER, focusing on the theme of summarizing the results of cooperation and speeding up the digitalization process, and deploying the rapid transformation and application of the achievements made in digital ophthalmology federal collaborative platform, eye health big data platform, ophthalmology knowledge map and intelligent diagnosis and treatment equipment research and development. It was agreed that the joint research and implementation of "global ophthalmology model service network", "digital intelligent ophthalmologist", "pioneering unmanned autonomous ophthalmology laboratory" and so on will be both The three major research projects are "top of the line" and "groundbreaking".
"This high-level innovation cooperation platform will continue to innovate in "algorithms" and accumulate huge digital assets in ophthalmology, while releasing powerful digital ophthalmology "computing power". "This is also a strong initiative that AIER is taking in the era of digital economy, interpreting the responsibility and mission of "Let all human beings enjoy the right to eye health".

A very common problem in the medical industry is the lack of large-scale high-quality labeled data. Because of data privacy and security issues, data from different medical institutions cannot be aggregated and shared, which greatly affects the accuracy of models and hinders the process of scientific research.
In the face of the demand for collaborative innovation in digital ophthalmology, the conference unveiled the FedEye, a collaborative platform for digital ophthalmology jointly developed by AIER and the Institute of Computing, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It works similarly to the joint AI modeling adopted in the US-European AI cooperation agreement, that is, through distributed model training among multiple data sources with local data, the optimal model results can be obtained only by exchanging model parameters or intermediate results without violating data privacy protection laws and regulations, thus achieving a balance between data privacy protection and data sharing computing. At present, FedEye has been officially launched, and has been approved as "Changsha New Generation Artificial Intelligence Open Innovation Platform", Hunan Provincial Expert Workstation, and Hunan Furong Laboratory (Precision Medicine) Co-Building Enterprise.

FedEye is a collaborative digital ophthalmology platform developed by CCAI, which can connect multi-center collaborative business and realize joint construction of large-scale intelligent models through federal mechanism. The platform is already online with 30 federation learning algorithms, which can implement model local construction as well as multiparty joint research and development. The five common eye disease auxiliary diagnosis models trained in the first phase have been tested by a third-party inspection agency, and the FedEye federal auxiliary diagnosis model has an accuracy of 94.845%, which is 9.537% higher than the local auxiliary diagnosis model on average.
The digital ophthalmology federal collaborative platform is developed for the society to further promote virtual sharing of data, rapid promotion of technology, joint innovation breakthroughs, and the popularization of high-level ophthalmic medical services with the power of AI. With the continuous addition of fellow ophthalmologists, computing experts and industry partners, FedEye, a high-level digital autonomous innovation, will contribute wisdom and strength to achieve self-improvement and self-sufficiency in the field of ophthalmic medicine.

The cooperation between AIER and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is an open and innovative high-level cooperation model, which is an important initiative for AIER to gather high-quality scientific and technological forces, tap internal resources and speed up AIER's digitalization process. The "Federal Collaboration Platform for Digital Ophthalmology" is one of the first open topics in the "China-AI Cooperation Digital Ophthalmology Joint Laboratory Project". At the same time, we also launched the projects of "Audio-visual and tactile interaction technology and application for remote ophthalmology surgery", "Research on high-precision AMD assisted diagnosis of macular degeneration based on multimodal information" and "Intelligent assisted diagnosis algorithm for fungal keratitis". Research and application of diagnostic algorithm for fungal keratitis" and "Research on security protection technology of eye health big data platform based on zero trust".
These five topics, from the virtual ophthalmic surgery training touch-sensitive software and hardware facilities, basic eye disease intelligent aided diagnosis, eye health big data platform security protection and other directions of strategy, is based on solving the digitalization of AIER faces many concerns in the "meta-problem".It was established to solve the "pain points" such as the high cost of training and teaching doctors, the lack of uniform diagnostic standards for basic eye diseases due to the shortage of senior doctors, and the security of EB-level massive data processing operations, and aims to empower the development of digital ophthalmology in all aspects with the help of intelligent computing technology.
Before the release of this batch of open projects, the regional key project of CAS Science and Technology Service Network Program (STS Program) jointly undertaken by both parties - "Intelligent unmanned consultation system and big data platform construction for eye health management" has made a breakthrough. The project entered a successful closing stage. The project has published 17 papers, 4 in progress, applied for 5 patents, and developed an intelligent analysis algorithm of ophthalmic images based on deep learning and an intelligent assisted diagnosis system, the first integrated AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment fundus camera, an eye health big data platform and an eye health knowledge map containing more than 20 types of diseases, symptoms and other relationships.

With the joint efforts of the "China-AI cooperation" team, the STS project has built an intelligent eye health management system based on an eye health big data platform: a medical cloud platform, an Internet hospital and an eye health management platform have been established, and through digitalization, the data from outside to inside the hospital and all aspects of the hospital have been connected, covering the patient's pre-consultation, during-consultation and post-consultation records. It supports the construction of an online and offline eye health "Internet+" ecosystem, and provides the basis and support for the management of youth myopia and the prevention and treatment of basic eye diseases. The youth myopia prevention and control system has been used in more than 500 medical institutions of the Group, and the service scope covers the whole country. The fundus chronic disease management system, through the integration of fully automated fundus cameras and AI-aided diagnosis technology, has been used in 77 institutions of the Group, serving a large number of patients. Digital technology has helped to achieve more efficient and accurate disease diagnosis and management, benefiting eye disease patients and improving the overall eye health of the whole population. Recently, the "AIER Intelligent Fundus Screening Software and Hardware Integration Solution for Chronic Eye Diseases" was successfully selected by the Chronic Disease Center of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Academy of Information and Communication Research for the catalog of typical digital products (services) for chronic disease prevention and treatment (2022).

Chen Bang, chairman of AIER Hospital Group, mentioned at the meeting that digital ophthalmology is a strong driver to help achieve the strategic goals of AIER, and the strong collaboration between AIER and CAS has aggregated the cutting-edge technology resources of intelligent computing and digital ophthalmology, and built an open and innovative digital platform, which is conducive to contributing new increments to the high-quality development of Hunan's digital economy, and providing strong support for the digital economy to become stronger and bigger. It will provide strong support for the digital economy and achieve "win-win" for all parties. The research results of medical-industrial crossover will greatly contribute to the realization of the three strategic goals of strengthening the grassroots level, making the height and promoting integration.

Currently, trade protectionism in the international community is spreading to the field of data, and many countries have established barriers to the cross-border flow of data, while AIER Ophthalmology, as a global ophthalmic medical group, will always maintain an open mind, promote the deep integration of intelligent technology and ophthalmic clinical care, implement the safe application of ophthalmic clinical medical data under the support of the federal collaborative platform, and promote the rapid development of digital ophthalmology in the road of science! rapid development on the road!

At the meeting, the Director of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Director of the Ubiquitous Computing Systems Research Center, and the Academic Director of the AIER Institute of Digital Ophthalmology pointed out the core pain points of the current development of digital ophthalmology and the international competition faced in the report "Strategic Planning and Annual Plan for Digital Ophthalmology in China-AI Cooperation", and proposed In the report, the academic director of CCAI pointed out the core pain points and international competition facing the development of digital ophthalmology, and proposed the way to break the situation of "both the top and the ground, and win-win".

Chen Yiqiang said, relying on the international advantages of AIER, we must accelerate the planning of international cooperation projects to support the exploration of more innovative models, AIER Digital Eye Institute will layout three key projects.
Build a "global ophthalmic model service network" - relying on the FedEye ophthalmic medical aid open platform and AIER "1 + 8 + N" of world-class, national The ophthalmology model service network will cover a wide range of diseases, a wide geographic area and a large population, so that everyone can enjoy the right to eye health.
Create "digital intelligent ophthalmologist" - In the context of insufficient medical resources and scarce ophthalmologists, the emergence of digital intelligent ophthalmologist will largely alleviate the lack of ophthalmic medical resources. The plan will fully utilize the large volume of clinical cases, knowledge and experience accumulated by a large team of ophthalmologists in AIER, and draw on the technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences team in successfully developing the Winter Olympics digital human, integrating the latest artificial intelligence + digital ophthalmology combination. The STS project's self-developed "Eye Health Knowledge Atlas" will make a great contribution to the creation of digital intelligent ophthalmologists in terms of ophthalmic medical knowledge, clinical experience and disease diagnosis.
Building a "groundbreaking unmanned autonomous ophthalmology laboratory" - The ophthalmology laboratory is driven by real-life experimental needs as it moves toward an era of intelligence. The unmanned autonomous ophthalmology laboratory will not only improve the speed of ophthalmology research, shorten the cycle of ophthalmology research, but also reduce the errors that may be caused by manual testing, generate more cutting-edge scientific research results, and lead the development of ophthalmology.

These three major digital ophthalmology research programs are not just pavilions in the air, they are both sky-high and ground-breaking, and can be described as "long guns" aiming at the future and "short guns" focusing on the needs, and actually supporting the ophthalmology business and work on the ground. The "Global Ophthalmology Model Service Network" is already advancing step by step, and we believe that the future emergence of digital ophthalmologists and unmanned autonomous ophthalmology labs, with "long guns" and "short cannons" firing together, will create a new chapter of digital ophthalmology for us.

Li Li, Global President of AIER Hospital Group, summarized the conference and once again thanked the project team for their hard work and collaborative efforts. "With the joint efforts of AIER and the Institute of Computing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 'China-AI Cooperation' project has not only achieved remarkable results in three areas: smart ophthalmic devices, smart ophthalmologists and smart patient services, but also jointly cultivated interdisciplinary composite high-end talents and made efforts to promote the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements for digital ophthalmology." In 2023, AIER will continue to join hands with the Institute of Computing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to start a new chapter and create a new model of innovative cooperation between industry leaders and the national scientific and technological strategic forces of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. At the same time, AIER will continue to increase cooperation with top research institutions and universities, bring together top platforms and high-end talents, strive to further enhance the construction and application of medical, educational, research, production and investment systems, give full play to the advantages of resources and technology, and contribute wisdom to the cause of light in China and the world!

Prof. Zheng Wang has been invited to become a Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery and Vision Science (WCRS)!

Professor Wang Zheng, head of the Refractive Surgery Group, General Director of AIER Hospital Group Guangdong Province, and President of Guangzhou AIER Hospital affiliated to Jinan University, has been internationally recognized for his contributions to refractive surgery education and research. He was invited to become a Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences (WCRS) in February 2023.)

The Academy is currently limited to internal nominations by invitation only, and Professor Wang Zheng has become the first member of the Academy from mainland China to accept the invitation.

The World College of Refractive Surgery and Vision Sciences (WCRS) is a global alliance of ophthalmologists focused on refractive surgery, with the aim of effective education, research, business and translation on a global scale, with the intention of emphasizing the existence of refractive surgery as a separate ophthalmic specialty, and is currently the professional organization offering global certification in refractive surgery. The Academy also aims to become the world's leading standard-setting and accreditation body for refractive surgery in ophthalmology.

Professor Wang Zheng's achievements in the field of refractive surgery have been recognized by WCRS, which is a reflection of the international recognition of AIER's refractive field, and represents that the team of refractive experts led by Professor Wang Zheng is continuing to promote the development of refractive surgery in China and worldwide. In the future, AIERwill also take this platform to show more contributions in the field of refractive surgery in the international arena and enhance the international discourse. With Professor Wang Zheng officially joining the WCRS, this represents the next stage of development for China's refractive surgery to officially align with international refractive surgery. As a chain of ophthalmic institutions covering Europe, Asia and the United States, AIER will continue to promote the development of refractive surgery in China by relying on AIER's international resources, platform and technical advantages. It is understood that after joining the WCRS, Professor Wang Zheng will work with the organization's members to develop international refractive surgery standards and a professional training system for refractive surgeons, so as to provide higher quality ophthalmic services for refractive patients worldwide and truly share the global wisdom of AIER. Since its inception, the Refractive Surgery Group has performed over one million surgeries. In 2005, we introduced femtosecond and laser eye care institutions, entering the femtosecond era and opening the era of knifeless myopia surgery; in 2006, we introduced ICL surgery, providing more options for patients. In 2014, we partnered with Zeiss to promote full femtosecond coverage in all 20 Chinese provinces, redefining myopia surgery; in 2019, we promote full customized solutions, making patient choices more diversified. Every myopia surgery option is a good myopia surgery option, and the perfect myopia surgery option is the one that is right for the patient.

20 years of time, to build refractive surgery industry status; 20 years of the same heart, the achievement of millions of bright wishes. We are deeply committed to the field of refractive surgery and strive to create a personalized visual experience for each patient, and to bring better equipment, more cutting-edge technology, and more popular industry knowledge to the majority of ophthalmologists with the fervent heart of chasing excellence, providing a broader path of growth and advancement.

AIER organizes the 3rd "10.10 Dry Eye Care Day": "5 Major Dry Eye Care Programs" to protect the bright eyes of millions of people

Couldn’t stop looking the phone, Still working late nights and fighting till dawn no matter how the computer "dominates the screen" ...... If your eyes feeling dry and stinging, with a foreign body feeling and burning sensation, this could be dry eyes! Nourish your vision for a thousand miles of vision. In order to bring dry eye to the attention of the entire population, since the launch of the "10.10 Dry Eye Care Day" in 2020, AIER has been doing its utmost to protect the "bright eyes" of dry eye sufferers. The "Blinking Exercise" as a dry eye care routine and the "2021 National Lifestyle and Dry Eye Correlation Analysis Report" were released ......

In 2022, the "10.10 Dry Eye Care Day" campaign is in its third season, with the official launch of the "5 Major Groups Dry Eye Care Programme". With the official launch of the "Dry Eye Care Programme for 5 Major Groups", "Dry Eye Type Screening + Personalised Joint Treatment" has been introduced to the public. Through layers of screening and "tailor-made" one-stop dry eye treatment solutions, we are committed to making people's eyes less "dry".

This is an alarming set of figures.
According to the results of the Expert Consensus on Clinical Practice for Dry Eye (2013), the prevalence of dry eye in China is currently as high as 21%-30% and the number of dry eye patients is estimated to have reached 360 million.

Dry eye is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases caused by abnormal tear quality or quantity or kinetics, resulting in decreased tear film stability and associated ocular discomfort or ocular surface tissue lesions. In addition to dry eyes and astringency, there are also symptoms such as burning eyes, foreign body sensation, visual fatigue, redness and stinging eyes, and increased discharge.

"The etiology of dry eye is closely related to poor lifestyle behaviours, dietary habits and indoor environment." During the event, Professor Zeng Qingyan, a member of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and a member of the Ocular Surface and Dry Eye Group, and deputy head of the Cornea and Ocular Surface Group of the AIER Eye Hospital Group, shared a presentation on the topic of "Interpretation of the Expert Consensus on Lifestyle-Related Dry Eye (2022)".

It is understood that the "Chinese Dry Eye Expert Consensus: Lifestyle-Related Dry Eye (2022)" was developed by academic organisations such as the Asian Dry Eye Association China Chapter and the Ocular Surface and Dry Eye Group of the Ophthalmologists Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, based on China's national and civil conditions, combined with domestic and international research advances and brought together the clinical experience of domestic experts to develop a definition and classification of dry eye, examination and diagnosis, treatment and prevention, etc. The consensus opinion was comprehensively updated. The consensus was developed by Prof. Sun Xuguang, Prof. Li Shaowei, Prof. Zeng Qingyan and Prof. Zhao Min, all of whom are experts in ophthalmology at Aier.

The report shows that people who use video display terminals (VDTs) for more than 8 hours a day, sleep less than 5 hours a day on average, wear contact lenses for long periods of time, do not clean their eyes thoroughly after applying make-up, smoke actively and passively for long periods of time, often turn on air conditioning and heating, eat a high-fat diet and drink alcohol excessively are prone to dry eyes.

In terms of age, about 30% of the population is over 60 years old, about 51% of the workforce is between 30-60 years old, while the student population accounts for over 10% of the hospitals with a high percentage of treatment. It is important to note that women are more likely to suffer from dry eye, accounting for over 70%.

How to prevent dry eyes? Learn a set of "blinking exercises"!
"Close your eyes gently for two seconds, close them tightly for two seconds, open them for another two seconds ...... train for one minute at a time and do it 10 times a day." At the event, the cartoon character "Runbao" interacted with the audience from time to time and repeatedly demonstrated the blinking exercise technique.
Professor Duan Xuanchu, Director of the Ophthalmology Committee of the Hunan Medical Association and Vice President of the Hunan Province Region of AIER Hospital Group, said that blinking not only distributes tears evenly to the eye surface and moistens the eye, but also promotes the discharge of lipids (commonly known as "oil") secreted by the lid glands, thus protecting tears from evaporation and improving the stability of the tear film. This protects the tears from evaporation and improves the stability of the tear film, thus preventing dry eyes.

However, once dry eye has set in, it can never be relieved or improved by eye drops. The reason for this is that there are three layers of the tear film, and problems with each layer can cause dry eye.

In this regard, Dr. Li Kuanshu, Chief Physician of Changsha AIER Corneal and Ocular Surface Specialists, gave an in-depth explanation of the "AIER Dry Eye Staging Value", introducing the causes and symptoms of each of the five dry eye types, including aqueous deficiency dry eye, lipid abnormal dry eye, mucin deficiency dry eye, abnormal tear dynamics dry eye and mixed dry eye.

"With the complex causes and diverse symptoms of dry eye, accurate staging and treatment is important." Dr Li Kuanshu said it is important for patients to visit a specialist eye care provider for a scientific and comprehensive examination. "Only through a series of tests such as tear secretion tests and comprehensive ocular surface analysis can a professional doctor assess the severity of dry eye, determine the type of dry eye and thus 'tailor-made' a one-stop dry eye treatment plan to achieve precise moisturisation and multiply the effect with half the effort."

Pursuing an efficient lifestyle and facing high-pressure work and study head-on, media workers, white-collar workers (including retired workers), teachers, people in the Internet industry and children have now become a high-risk group for dry eyes.

Based on this, AIER officially launched the "Dry Eye Care Programme for 5 Major Groups", sharing with them ideas on dry eye treatment in China as well as knowledge on daily dry eye care, and creating exclusive dry eye examination types and individualized joint treatment plans.
At the same time, AIER also joined hands with the Media Tea Party to launch the second season of the "Dry Eye Care Programme for Media Workers Working at Night", which led more than 10,000 media representatives to launch the "Magic Blink Exercise" challenge in their WeChat circle of friends to fight against this highly prevalent chronic eye disease.
The launch of the Care Plan is just a microcosm of AIER efforts to care for the eye health of people with dry eyes.

Since the launch of the "10.10 Dry Eye Care Day" in 2020, AIER has been doing its utmost to protect the "bright eyes" of the dry eye population in the following two years: releasing the "National Dry Eye Multicentre Data Report", proposing and advocating the use of the "During this period, AIER has been actively promoting dry eye education and dry eye health check-ups to educate the general public about dry eye prevention and treatment. In addition, AIER has been actively promoting dry eye education and dry eye screening activities to educate the general public about dry eye prevention and treatment, so that they can understand dry eye and prevent it.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of AIER. As an international ophthalmic medical group with a global presence, AIER actively synchronises with international advanced dry eye treatment concepts, introducing new treatment technologies such as LiPiFlow lid thermal pulsation, intense pulsed light and 0.05 cyclosporine eye drops for dry eye patients.
At the event, Mrs.Jun Feng, Vice President of AIERas a representative received the certificates awarded by Wang Xiaojun, Director of Johnson & Johnson Eye Health Femtosecond Laser and Ocular Surface Division, and Lu Bonan, General Manager of Damacare.
For AIER , exploration and research never stops.
At this event, the major research projects of AIER, namely "Research on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dry Eye in Children", "Research on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dry Eye in the Perioperative Period of Cataract", "Research on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dry Eye in the Perioperative Period of Refractive Surgery" and "Multicentre Research on Rapid Tear Secretion Experiment", were unveiled and launched at the same time, aiming to protect the eye health of dry eye people of all ages and throughout their life cycle, and strive to use innovative results to help the high-quality development of ophthalmology and open up a new era of dry eye treatment. A new era of dry eye treatment!
Mr. Li Li, President of AIER Eye Hospital Group, said that the prevention and treatment of dry eye requires the attention of the entire industry and society as a whole. "AIER will always continue to work with the original intention of 'enabling all people, rich or poor, to enjoy the right to eye health' and contribute our efforts to help dry eye patients to have a pair of bright and healthy eyes as soon as possible."

Professor Wang Zhijun, renowned ocular trauma and fundus specialist, joins AIER to bring new hope to patients

AIER Eye Hospital Group introduced Professor Wang Zhijun, a heavyweight expert in ocular trauma and fundus disease. He has been working in ophthalmology for 38 years and is currently a standing member of the 12th Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and deputy head of the Ocular Trauma Specialty Group of the Chinese Medical Association Ophthalmology Branch

It is reported that Professor Wang Zhijun will be the Vice President of AIER Beijing SAR. His arrival also marks a new journey of high-quality development for AIER Beijing SAR, which will bring lasured technical support for the public to enjoy the treatment by a team of high-quality domestic ophthalmologists at their doorstep.

He has published more than 80 academic papers and 11 academic monographs on various subjects in ophthalmology. He has won two second-class awards for medical achievements in the whole army, one second-class award from the Chinese Medical Association, four provincial and ministerial awards for scientific and technological achievements, two hospital-level awards for medical achievements, and the title of the sixth national model army transfer cadre. In addition to his clinical work in ophthalmology, he has also gained many academic achievements, but in his eyes, Professor Wang does not see any satisfaction or pride at all. He still maintains usual modest and low-key approach to things. "Since I chose the ophthalmology profession, I am determined to make a career in this field." Professor Wang still remembers his enthusiasm, and when he looks back on the road he came from, he still has the same heart.

In fact, Professor Wang's path has been full of thorns and challenges; he embarked on his career as an ophthalmologist in 1984 after graduating from the Second Military Medical University and being assigned to work at the PLA General Hospital. During this period, he worked under the guidance of renowned teachers such as Professor Song Chen, Professor Ma Zhizhong and Professor He Shouzhi, laying a solid foundation for his future growth. In order to continue to improve his practice, he went to great lengths to study at the Prince of Wales Hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Eye Hospital under the tutelage of internationally renowned ophthalmologists Professor Ho Chi Ping and Professor Cao An Min.

Professor Wang has worked in the ophthalmology department of the PLA General Hospital and the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. During this time, he has been able to draw on a wide range of knowledge and expertise, not only in ocular trauma, but also in retinopathy, cataract and glaucoma, and has accumulated a wealth of experience in the treatment of difficult eye diseases. In China, he was one of the key members in the development and promotion of a new concept in the management of severe ocular trauma, which is gradually being accepted by his peers as it continues to be promoted. At the same time, during his tenure as Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, he successfully treated a series of difficult ocular trauma cases, which not only filled a gap in the field of ocular trauma treatment at the Hospital, but also ushered in a new era of ocular trauma treatment at the Hospital.

The eye may be small, but it is an incredibly delicate and complex area, and ophthalmologists are "dancers on the tip of a needle". Fund us disease is a disease of the retina and the optic nerve, which is the last line of sight in the eye, and is difficult and risky to treat, requiring the highest level of competence. The introduction of Professor Wang Zhijun, a renowned ocular trauma and fund us disease specialist, will further promote the strength of ocular trauma and fund us disease treatment in Beijing to a new level.

In addition, Professor Wang is the Deputy Director of the Beijing Medical Association Ophthalmology Branch, and also holds the position of Executive Director of the China Medical Association Ophthalmology Professional Council. At the induction ceremony, Professor Wang's appointment was officially announced by Wang Lihua, Vice President and Director of the Human Resources Centre of AIER Eye Hospital Group, via video conference, after which he was put in charge of the overall work of AIER Ophthalmology Beijing in the area of ocular trauma. Professor Wang was praised for his rigorous and exquisite medical skills, and his treatment of patients has always been based on the principle of 'healer's kindness', making patients feel at ease. AIER is striving to build a '1+8+N' ophthalmic medical service network, and his joining us will give us a strong impetus and play a good model driving effect for talents."

Next, Professor Li Shaowei, PhD supervisor at the AIER School of Ophthalmology of Central South University, Director of the AIER Institute of Cornea disease and CEO of Beijing AIER in-tech Hospital, gave a warm welcome and speech on behalf of the entire hospital to Professor Wang. He gave a brief biography of Professor Wang's past positions and stressed, "What impresses me most is that Professor Wang is an easy-going person, highly respected among patients and peers, and his arrival will have a very significant impact on the whole hospital, Beijing SAR and the industry. We hope he will continue to shine on his new platform and write a new chapter in the development of eye health with us!"

Professor Wang said, with a smile in his eyes, that he had a long association with AIER, "I was fortunate enough to attend the 20th anniversary celebration of AIER with Professor Li Shaowei in July this year, where many of the biggest names in ophthalmology gathered, and I was deeply moved by AIER corporate culture, which prompted me to join this loving and caring family. What attracted me most to AIER is the presence of more than 700 professional ophthalmology institutions around the world, which cover different races, genders and ages, and the vast amount of ophthalmic clinical data and case resources covering different regions of Asia, America and Europe, which is a solid foundation for conducting large-scale, multi-centre studies."

Professor Wang further patiently pointed out, "Many hospitals and research institutes in China can only conduct a clinical study based on the limited clinical cases and resources of their own hospitals and institutes. However, AIER is able to use the extensive, rich and balanced clinical data and resources of its global hospital chain to conduct research, which is a great advantage in the international arena. I sincerely hope to work with all my colleagues at AIER Beijing to seek higher breakthroughs in clinical, scientific and academic research for the benefit of more eye disease patients!"

From clinically oriented basic research, to clinical translational research, to applied research of new clinical technologies and methods and clinical multi-directional research, Professor Wang said that by translating scientific and technological achievements, it will be able to achieve faster from scientific research to results, which will eventually truly benefit the majority of patients with difficult eye diseases.

In recent years, AIER has continued to increase its technological innovation, upgrade its medical education and research innovation platform, and implement a global talent attraction programme, which has enabled a number of domestic and international ophthalmologists to join AIER one after another, continuously enriching the core team of experts of the Group and the talent strength of each hospital. With the improvement of the overall strength of the hospital and the development of the brands of various disciplines, we are striving to fulfil our noble mission of "enabling all people, rich or poor, to enjoy the right to eye health"!