New OCT Applications From Carl Zeiss Meditec Support Full Spectrum Of Cataract, Refractive, Glaucoma And Retina Procedures

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 06 Apr 2009 - 3:00 PST

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Advanced new optical coherence tomography (OCT) applications will be showcased this week at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) meeting in San Francisco by Carl Zeiss Meditec, a leader in complete ophthalmic systems, including IOLs and disposables. The New Technology area of booth 1926 will highlight the new suite of OCT innovations along with a first-ever cinematic showing of high-definition images that have been created using 3D rendering techniques by Dr. Carl Glittenberg of Austria.

"Since we first introduced OCT technology to the ophthalmic industry nearly fifteen years ago, we have continued to invest in applications that leverage clinical and scientific advances in the field as well as features that make the technology itself more efficient and user-friendly for practitioners," said Michael Kaschke, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carl Zeiss Meditec.

New OCT Applications

The newest version of Cirrus HD-OCT 4.0 adds critical features to support cataract and refractive surgeons as well as advanced analyses for tracking change in glaucoma and managing retina disease. Cirrus 4.0 software has been released internationally and is pending FDA clearance in the US.

- Anterior Segment Imaging provides visualization of the cornea and angle with central corneal thickness measurement for glaucoma management. No external lenses are needed.

- Normative RNFL and Macular Thickness Data allows physicians to identify pre-existing glaucoma and retinal disease and to rule-out suspected glaucoma.

- Guided Progression Analysis ™ (GPA) software supports glaucoma treatment decision making by identifying statistically significant RNFL thickness changes.

- Macular Change Analysis helps physicians evaluate retinal status and response to therapy by mapping changes in macular thickness measurements.

Cirrus HD-OCT 4.0 is ideal for practices that rely on advanced technologies to identify pre-existing eye diseases, to closely monitor disease progression and to determine the most appropriate course of treatment for each patient. The new software technologies can be seamlessly integrated onto any Cirrus HD-OCT platform.

"Cirrus is a valuable tool in my practice for both my cataract/refractive surgery and glaucoma patients," said Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "It helps me to identify potential problems in my pre-operative cataract/refractive workups and my patients more easily understand what they can expect post-operatively."

Dynamic new features for Stratus OCT, the most widely adopted OCT platform worldwide, are also now available for the first time at ASCRS 2009. The Stratus OCT 6.0 upgrade includes the following enhancements:

- Anterior Segment Imaging is also available for Stratus OCT and is currently pending 510k approval within the USA.

- Enhanced Repeat Function simplifies image registration across visits to enhance reproducibility.

- Multi-slice reports provide an overview of the entire retina on a single page, allowing clinicians to preview all B-scans at-a-glance. This functionality is especially suited for cataract pre-op assessment and it allows physicians to set appropriate post-surgical expectations with patients.

These new features for Stratus OCT, combined with GPA software, provide more diagnostic functions than ever before. Version 6.0 is especially applicable to comprehensive ophthalmologists that require a consistent, cost-effective platform to identify and monitor cataract patients with pre-existing glaucoma or retina diseases.

"Immerse Yourself in the Image" Cinematic Display

Dr. Carl Glittenberg from the Department of Ophthalmology, Rudolf Foundation Clinic, Vienna, Austria will deliver a special cinematic presentation titled, "Advantage of High Density Data in Ray Traced Stereoscopic Three-Dimensional OCT Visualization," featuring high-density clinical images that have been rendered from the Cirrus HD-OCT system. The audience will have the opportunity to view these new 3D images through Carl Zeiss Cinemizers using an iPod at the special "Immerse Yourself in the Image" viewing station.

Frost & Sullivan Award

Frost and Sullivan recently presented Carl Zeiss Meditec with the 2009 North American Market Leadership Award in recognition of the company's optical coherence tomography technology. In a recent press release,1 Frost & Sullivan acknowledged that Carl Zeiss Meditec "has developed proprietary image analysis algorithms that provide volumetric data and aid in interpreting three dimensional images in highly reproducible and quantitative fashion."

"We are honored to be recognized for our contributions to OCT and we will continue to deliver meaningful advancements to this remarkable technology," added Dr. Kaschke.

New Independent Market Research

In a new market research report compiled by Market Scope and underwritten by Carl Zeiss Meditec, population and demographic data was analyzed to identify future trends that may affect practicing ophthalmologists. According to this report, cataract/IOL Surgeries will increase by nearly 25 percent between 2008 and 2015 and combined disease intervention (including refractive, glaucoma and AMD) will increase by approximately 19 percent. Conversely, the number of practicing ophthalmologists is anticipated to remain fairly constant.

This data suggests that integrating new technologies that expedite workflow efficiencies in the practice will be necessary to support the influx of patient volume within the next five years. Please visit booth #1926 to receive a complimentary copy of the report.

Cataract Surgical Outcomes Educational Symposium

Meeting delegates are encouraged to attend the "Cataract Surgical Outcomes" symposium on Monday, April 6 at 7 pm at the Parc 55 Hotel in San Francisco to learn about the application of Zeiss technologies to achieve better patient outcomes and to identify candidates for refractive IOLs procedures.

Carl Zeiss was the first to commercialize OCT technology for ophthalmology, pioneering this market in 1995. In 2002, Carl Zeiss Meditec introduced Stratus OCT™, which became a gold standard product with more than 8,000 units in the marketplace today. The largest body of OCT clinical data, including a library of more than 2,000 peer reviewed articles, has been published about Stratus OCT™ to date. Five years later, Carl Zeiss Meditec launched Cirrus™ HD-OCT, the first in its category to deliver high-definition 3D maps.

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: http://www.meditec.zeiss.com

1 Press release issued via PRNewswire on March 24, 2009: Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Excellence in Medical Technologies & Life Sciences.

Source
Frost & Sullivan