Before we founded STAAR Japan Incorporated, we wondered what we could do to help Japan’s aging society. In 1988, optics field mainstay Canon took note of artificial lens development performed by American firm STAAR® Surgical and founded joint venture corporation Canon STAAR , our predecessor. We brought to Japan the technology to develop silicone intraocular lens (IOL), then a new possibility for treating cataracts, and took our first step toward helping our aging society by obtaining regulatory approval for foldable silicone IOLs, a worldwide first, in 1989.
We went on to pioneer the development of disposable injectors in 1993 and introduce the world’s first preloaded IOL system in 2002. With a 100% investment from STAAR® Surgical in 2008, we celebrated our second founding as STAAR Japan. We continued to cultivate applications of IOL development technology and Implantable Collamer ®Lens, and we introduced them to the market as the first phakic IOL approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
As a member of the worldwide STAAR® Surgical Group and with the cooperation of those working in ophthalmology, we plan to continue striving to improve our standing as a supplier and to develop new products with the utmost attention to quality and materials.
