DUBLIN, CA--(Marketwire - April 9, 2010) - ASCRS Booth #1103 -- Carl Zeiss Meditec introduced its Glaucoma Solutions offering at the American Academy Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) on Glaucoma Day in Boston, Mass. Featuring the most complete portfolio of diagnostic, therapeutic and data management modalities, Carl Zeiss Meditec's Glaucoma Solutions are designed to enable doctors to preserve vision throughout a patient's lifetime, from early glaucoma detection to disease monitoring to long-term management.
"As the leader in glaucoma diagnostics for more than twenty-five years, we are pleased to be launching our new Glaucoma Solution at this year's ASCRS meeting," said Ludwin Monz, CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec. "Our goal is to provide modern measurement technologies that help doctors acquire crucial clinical information, to use clinically validated techniques to analyze and present those results in ways that doctors can immediately apply to patient management decisions, and to offer modern data management technologies that bring these diagnostic results to the point of care. We believe that our Glaucoma Solution helps doctors to focus on the patient and make more informed treatment decisions."
As part of the Glaucoma Solution, new offerings for the Cirrus™ HD-OCT and the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) platforms, which are established within thousands of ophthalmic practices worldwide, as well as enhancements for the FORUM Eye Care Data Management System, are available for the first time at this year's ASCRS meeting.
Cirrus™ HD-OCT Optic Nerve Head Analysis
The new Cirrus™ HD-OCT Optic Nerve Head Analysis software provides automated identification of the optic disc and cup boundaries. The analysis is generated using the existing Optic Disc 200 x 200 data cube and a new proprietary ZEISS algorithm. This algorithm is designed to precisely measure the neuro-retinal rim, while accounting for tilted discs, disruptions to the RPE and other challenging pathology. Optic nerve head calculations are presented in a combined report with RNFL thickness data. Key parameters are displayed in table format. In addition, the boundaries of the cup and disc are displayed on the en face image integrated with the RNFL thickness deviation map.
"Doctors always are on the alert for improved ways of managing glaucoma," said Douglas Anderson, MD, Professor, Douglas R. Anderson, Chair in Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. "Recent improvements in OCT imagery of the eye provided such an opportunity, and I was pleased to collaborate with Carl Zeiss Meditec in the development of a new method for quantifying optic nerve damage commonly seen in glaucoma."
Humphrey Field Analyzer with Guided Progression Analysis (GPA) Software
The world's most widely used automated perimeter is now the only perimeter with GPA software that has received clearance from the FDA to specifically assess both change from baseline and the rate of change of visual field loss over time. With GPA, doctors can see at-a-glance whether vision has changed for each individual patient and they can subsequently identify how rapidly visual field loss is progressing. Understanding each patient's rate of progression helps the doctor to adjust the therapeutic regimen with the goal of preserving vision throughout the patient's expected life.
Humphrey Field Analyzers are used by more eye care providers than any other automated perimeter today, and more than 60 thousand units have been sold since the first models were introduced in 1984. In addition to FDA cleared GPA software for the HFA, GPA software also is FDA-cleared for the Cirrus HD-OCT.
New Applications for the FORUM Eye Care Data Management System
Introduced at the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, the FORUM Eye Care Data Management System is an advanced, highly efficient data management solution for streamlining, centralizing and viewing the vast amount of clinical data generated by ophthalmic instruments. Several new FORUM enhancements are being released at this year's ASCRS meeting, including:
- Raw Data Synchronization: Automatically archives patient records to the FORUM Archive after each patient exam while allowing other instruments and review stations to retrieve this data. In addition, data archive, retrieval and back-ups, which are typically conducted at the beginning and end of each workday, are now shorter and more efficient.
- Combined Reports: Integrates structural and functional information for the HFA and for Cirrus™ HD-OCT into one combined report for more efficient glaucoma assessment.
- Cirrus™ HD-OCT Review Software: Cirrus Review Software can now be launched from anywhere within FORUM with the single click of a button, allowing users to easily retrieve and re-analyze data in the exam lane.
Carl Zeiss Meditec's full suite of Glaucoma Solutions includes diagnostics (visual field analysis, RFNL diagnosis, optic nerve head analysis and rate of progression analysis), therapeutic lasers, surgical microscopes and data management capabilities. Demonstrations of these technologies will be showcased at the Carl Zeiss Meditec booth #1103 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center during this year's ASCRS meeting.
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 around 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
Contact Information:
Contact
Jackie Ferreira
Senior Director of Marketing Communications
Carl Zeiss Meditec
5160 Hacienda Drive
Dublin, CA 94568-7562
Phone: (925) 557-4488
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