FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michele Hart
BostonSight
mhart@bostonsight.org
Needham, Mass. –September 26, 2023 – BostonSight®, a nonprofit healthcare organization that advances the treatment of diseased and damaged corneas and dry eye, announced it has received a $200,000 manufacturing grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP) to advance its scleral lens manufacturing capabilities.
The MMAP grant program is managed by the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech (CAM) and helps small to medium-sized manufacturers in Massachusetts scale their businesses to compete in the modern manufacturing economy.
The grant funds are awarded based on several criteria, including demonstration of operational improvements and efficiencies and the ability to reach new markets and customers. Out of more than 60 applicants, BostonSight was one of 11 who received funding.
With the grant, BostonSight will purchase a new DAC ALM lathe with a Universal 1000 Autoloader. The Autoloader is a robotic assembly system that automates loading the plastic buttons that are cut and shaped to create custom PROSE® devices and BostonSight SCLERAL lenses at BostonSight’s manufacturing lab in Needham, Massachusetts. PROSE devices and BostonSight SCLERAL lenses are rigid gas-permeable contact lenses that save sight, improve visual acuity, and reduce pain in people with dry eye, damaged corneas, and ocular surface diseases.
“We are thrilled to receive these funds from MMAP,” said Sara Yost, BostonSight CEO and President. “By adding an Autoloader to BostonSight’s production line, we will enhance our capabilities through innovative, emerging technology, streamline our manufacturing processes, and expand our manufacturing capacity to deliver PROSE devices and BostonSight SCLERAL lenses to all who can benefit from this life-changing treatment. BostonSight has always been ‘patient-first’ and this improvement in efficiency directly benefits patients.”
The Autoloader will be the first of its kind to enter BostonSight’s manufacturing facility. It will extend the daily runtime of the lathe, increasing BostonSight’s manufacturing capacity to meet increasing year-over-year demand. It will also allow lab technicians to focus on more intricate phases of the manufacturing process, increasing their skill level and, overall, advancing operational capability.
In addition to providing capital, the MMAP program creates partnerships between manufacturers and area nonprofits. Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership has been partnered with BostonSight to provide technical support and business connections to drive efficiencies and scale its business.
About the Mass. Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech
The mission of the Massachusetts Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) is to foster the most complete, collaborative and agile manufacturing ecosystem, to enable business growth from innovation through production. The CAM is a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), a public economic development agency tasked with supporting business formation and growth in the Commonwealth’s tech and innovation sectors. CAM provides a path for manufacturing growth through a connected, accessible ecosystem that supports innovation, workforce development, and a business-friendly environment. CAM manages programs including the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), the MassBridge manufacturing training program, and the MassMakes portal. Learn more at https://cam.masstech.org/.
About BostonSight®
BostonSight is a nonprofit healthcare organization that advances the treatment of diseased or damaged corneas and dry eye. Our ongoing commitment to research and achieving optimal patient outcomes through innovative scleral lens design, education, and technology has saved the sight of thousands of people around the world. PROSE® is our medical treatment for the most severe or challenging ocular surface disease cases, delivered via specially trained eye care professionals at top tertiary eye centers. BostonSight SCLERAL® is our commercially available scleral lens used by optometrists worldwide. BostonSight SCLERAL has partnerships with Spectrum International in Latin America, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in the Middle East and India, and Conóptica in Europe. Learn more at www.bostonsight.org.