Carl Zeiss Meditec Introduces New Innovations: ‘Creating What’s to Come’ at AAO 2010

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – October 16, 2010) –  AAO Booth #1408 — Carl Zeiss Meditec today unveiled its newest product innovations at the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Chicago. Powered by the FORUM Ophthalmic Data Management System, the new Glaucoma Workplace features FORUM HFA-Cirrus Combined Report (CR™), the world’s first commercially available OCT and visual field integration. In addition, new FDA-cleared products commercially available for the first time in the United States will be on display during the exhibition.

The FORUM Glaucoma Workplace

As part of Carl Zeiss Meditec’s ‘Creating What’s to Come’ theme, the FORUM Glaucoma Workplace delivers essential diagnostic technologies, such as perimetry, spectral domain OCT, fundus photography and scanning laser polarimetry, for unprecedented clinical utility and paperless workflow.

The FORUM Glaucoma Workplace adds a new diagnostic assessment feature — HFA-Cirrus Combined Report — the industry’s first integration of OCT and visual field diagnostic analysis. By combining data from the gold-standard Humphrey^® Field Analyzer (HFA™) and Cirrus™ HD-OCT, this FORUM Combined Report provides structure and function status at-a-glance to help doctors make time-saving clinical assessments. This one-page digital snapshot delivers key patient exam information at the point-of-care for both right and left eyes of visual function, RNFL and optic nerve analysis.

“Clinical assessment of glaucoma patients, or particularly patients who have suspect glaucoma, requires assessment of visual function test results and structural parameters comparing both diagnostic modalities in each eye,” said Anders Heijl, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lund, Sweden. “Automatically providing structural OCT and visual field data in a single combined on-screen report will save time and facilitate such comparisons. This type of development is important for the quality of clinical decision-making in routine glaucoma care.”

“FORUM’s Glaucoma Workplace and the new HFA-Cirrus Combined Report is a big step forward, and I am excited about the potential of this unique new capability,” said Michael S. Jacobs, MD, of Athens Eye Associates, Athens, GA. “Having OCT and perimetry data available in a single format will allow me to perform a more focused exam and ultimately to spend more time making the decisions that only I can make.”

With an estimated 25,000 Humphrey Field Analyzer II-i perimetry systems and approximately 6,000 Cirrus HD-OCT platforms in use worldwide, Carl Zeiss Meditec customers with both platforms can seamlessly integrate FORUM Glaucoma Workplace and the Combined Report into their practice. In addition, key ZEISS diagnostic instruments sold today are FORUM ready and include DICOM Gateway software and a DICOM Gateway license.*

New FDA-Cleared Products

Also being introduced at this year’s AAO meeting is the VISULAS 532s VITE photocoagulator which recently received marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new keratoplasty indication for the VisuMax^® Femtosecond Laser has also been granted FDA clearance, which is expected to significantly expand the product’s treatment range. 

• VISULAS 532s VITE — This unique photocoagulation laser features variable and interactive multi-spot treatment cascades, giving ophthalmologists the greatest choice of treatment options to enhance therapeutic workflow and patient comfort during retinal photocoagulation procedures. Based on the concept of flexible treatment multi-spot cascades, linear, circular and customized coagulation strategies can be pursued in addition to traditional single-spot photocoagulation.

• Keratoplasty Application for the VisuMax^® Femtosecond Laser — The VisuMax Femtosecond Laser has received clearance from the U.S. FDA to perform lamellar resection of the cornea, lamellar keratoplasty, penetrating keratoplasty and corneal harvesting procedures. With a fast repetition rate of 500 kHz, the VisuMax delivers highly reproducible incisions with optimized surgical workflow.

“We are pleased to deliver a new suite of innovations that represents our philosophy of ‘Creating What’s to Come’ at this year’s AAO meeting,” said Ludwin Monz, CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec. “Evolving from the FORUM Ophthalmic Data Management System that we introduced just one year ago, we now offer the Glaucoma Workplace and FORUM Combined Report, each of which will deliver time-saving and workflow advantages to ophthalmic practices worldwide. In addition, we are pleased to introduce new FDA-cleared therapeutic lasers that span refractive and retina treatment capabilities, reinforcing our commitment to continually advance our integrated product offerings for the benefit of our customers and their patients.” 

The FORUM Glaucoma Workplace and new FDA-cleared products will be on display at Carl Zeiss Meditec’s booth #1408 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. In addition, meeting delegates are invited to attend the Company-sponsored evening event, “A Vision For Your Future…Today” on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at the River East Art Center. Dual education symposia: “OCT Breakfast Conference with the Experts,” and the “Innovations in Refractive and Corneal Surgery,” will be held for meeting delegates on Sunday morning, October 17, 2010 at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel.

Brief profile
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ISIN: DE 0005313704), which is listed on TecDAX of the German stock exchange, is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies.

The Company supplies innovative technologies and application-oriented solutions which enable doctors to improve the quality of life of their patients. The Company offers complete solutions, including implants and consumables, to diagnose and treat ophthalmic diseases. In the field of Neuro/ENT surgery, the Company provides innovative visualization solutions. Carl Zeiss Meditec’s medical technology portfolio is rounded off by promising future technologies such as intraoperative radiotherapy.

The Company’s approximately 2,100 employees generated revenue of about EUR 600 million in fiscal year 2007/08 (ended Sept. 30). The headquarters of Carl Zeiss Meditec are located in Jena, Germany. In addition to other subsidiaries in Germany, the Company is represented by over 50 percent of its employees at sites in the USA, Japan, Spain and France.

Thirty-five percent of Carl Zeiss Meditec’s shares are in free float. The remaining 65 percent are held by Carl Zeiss AG, one of the world’s leading groups engaged in the optical and opto-electronics industry. The five independently run business segments of Carl Zeiss AG operate in the future-oriented markets “Medical and Research Solutions,” “Industrial Solutions” and “Lifestyle Products.” Carl Zeiss AG is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. During fiscal year 2007/08 (ended Sept. 30) the Company generated revenues of about EUR 2.7 billion. Carl Zeiss has around 13,000 employees in more than 30 countries, including more than 8,000 in Germany.

For further information please visit our website at: www.meditec.zeiss.com

* FORUM-Ready is not available for FDT and Matrix.

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