Science in Vision (United States)

Science in Vision is a private consulting practice serving the ophthalmology and eye-care industry, founded in 2010 by Dr. Rick Potvin after he left Alcon. The firm is based in Akron, Ohio, in the United States, and operates through the website scienceinvision.com. Rather than selling a physical product, Science in Vision sells specialized professional services that sit at the intersection of clinical science, medical affairs and data analysis for ophthalmic devices, intraocular lenses (IOLs), cataract and vitreoretinal surgery, and laser refractive surgery. The company's service portfolio is organized around several areas. Under Medical Affairs, it offers assistance to existing medical affairs personnel, project and creative consulting, publication and study planning, KOL (key opinion leader) engagement, interim medical affairs staffing, and help designing and operating new medical affairs departments. Under Data Analysis, it performs in-depth analysis of clinical and bench data, discusses the strategic implications of findings, and runs statistical comparisons of data subsets. It also supports Investigator Initiated or Company Sponsored Phase IV (post-market) studies, including proposal preparation, protocol and data-collection form design, budgets, IRB submissions, data-collection management, data analysis, manuscript drafting, and management of publication submission and revisions. Technical Consulting covers review of protocols and analytical strategies, methodology and database design, statistical testing procedures, and third-party evaluations of technical feasibility and scientific or clinical merit. Writing services assess whether existing data can support publication and prepare manuscripts, while Speaking services cover the preparation and delivery of presentations on clinical and scientific topics such as astigmatism and cataract surgery, for product promotion or continuing education. The founder, Dr. Potvin, is both an engineer and an optometrist, with engineering degrees from Carleton University and the University of Toronto in Canada and an optometry degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada. He is also a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. His career included private optometry clinics, several years in Lens Eye Research and Clinical Science at Bausch + Lomb, and more than eight years at Alcon (Novartis) in laser refractive surgery and cataract/vitreoretinal surgery, where his last role was Director of Surgical Medical Affairs, responsible for post-market (Phase IV) studies highlighting the advantages of Alcon's IOL, cataract and vitreoretinal equipment. He left Alcon in 2010 to start the private consulting service. Because it is a small, founder-led consultancy, Science in Vision does not publish sales figures, does not appear to be publicly listed, and is not part of a larger corporate group. Its value proposition rests on independent, third-party data collection and analysis, giving surgeons an objective review of their clinical outcomes and helping ophthalmic companies bring clinical findings to publication and presentation. The firm's primary software tools include MS Access for custom database development and data mining, STATISTICA for statistical analysis and data mining, and MS Office for manuscripts, presentations and basic data analysis.

Science in Vision was founded in 2010 by Dr. Rick Potvin, who left Alcon (Novartis) that year to establish a private consulting service for eye-care professionals. Potvin's background combines engineering and optometry: he holds engineering degrees from Carleton University and the University of Toronto in Canada, and an optometry degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada, and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Before founding the firm, his career included time in private optometry clinics, several years in Lens Eye Research and Clinical Science at Bausch + Lomb, and more than eight years at Alcon in the areas of laser refractive surgery and cataract/vitreoretinal surgery. His last position at Alcon was Director of Surgical Medical Affairs, where he was responsible for post-market (Phase IV) studies intended to highlight the advantages of Alcon's IOL, cataract and vitreoretinal equipment. Building on that industry experience, Science in Vision was set up to provide a range of services to eye-care professionals, including independent third-party data collection and analysis and objective reviews of surgeons' clinical outcomes. The practice has worked with a number of surgeons on investigator-initiated post-market studies, covering the full arc from protocol development to IRB approval, data collection, statistical testing and manuscript preparation. It has also prepared scientific papers and presentations based on existing data, helping busy surgeons bring their clinical findings to press, and has assisted major ophthalmic companies with the review of important clinical and other materials. The firm is based in Akron, Ohio, in the United States, and operates through scienceinvision.com. Its service lines have remained centered on medical affairs support, clinical and bench data analysis, Phase IV study support, technical consulting, scientific writing and speaking. The company uses MS Access for custom database development and data mining, STATISTICA for statistical analysis and data mining, and MS Office for manuscript and presentation preparation and basic data analysis. As a small, founder-led consultancy, it does not appear to be publicly listed or part of a larger corporate group, and it does not publish sales or revenue figures.

• 2010

  Dr. Rick Potvin leaves Alcon to start a private consulting service for eye-care professionals, founding Science in Vision.

• The practice develops service lines in Medical Affairs, Data Analysis, Phase IV study support, Technical Consulting, Writing and Speaking.

• Science in Vision works with surgeons on investigator-initiated post-market studies from protocol development through IRB approval, data collection, statistical testing and manuscript preparation.

Independent, founder-led ophthalmology consulting practice offering medical affairs, clinical data analysis and publication support to eye-care companies and surgeons.

• Medical Affairs consulting and interim staffing

  Assistance to existing Medical Affairs personnel, project creative consulting, publication and study plans, KOL engagement, interim Medical Affairs staffing, and assistance with the design and operation of new Medical Affairs departments.

• Data Analysis

  In-depth analysis of clinical and/or bench data, including discussion of the strategic implications of findings and statistical comparisons of subsets of data.

• Phase IV (Post-Market) Study Support

  Preparation of proposals for investigator-initiated studies; preparation of protocols, data collection forms, budgets and submissions for Phase IV studies (e.g., IRB submission); management of data collection, data analysis and manuscript draft preparation; management of publication submission and revisions.

• Technical Consulting

  Review of protocols and analytical strategies for the collection and analysis of clinical and/or bench data; discussion and preparation of methodologies for data analysis, including database design and statistical testing procedures; third-party concept/project evaluations of technical feasibility, scientific and clinical merit.

• Writing

  Analysis of existing data to determine if publication is viable; preparation of manuscripts on the basis of available data; assistance to company R&D staff in designing and preparing data for publication.

• Speaking

  Preparation and delivery of presentations on a wide variety of clinical and scientific topics (e.g., astigmatism and cataract surgery), for product promotion or continuing education purposes.

1. 1Medical Affairs consultingscienceinvision.com
2. 2eye research | Science In Visionscienceinvision.com
3. 3Science in Vision (United States)wikidata.org