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Most widely adopted diagnostic platform helps eye care providers to identify and monitor retina, glaucoma and cataract diseases (Jena, September 11th, 2008) Carl Zeiss Meditec, a leading company of complete ophthalmic solutions and visualization systems for Neuro/ENT surgery, today announced that it has placed more than 10,000 optical coherence tomography (OCT) platforms worldwide, the largest OCT portfolio on the market today. These units include the Cirrus(TM) HD-OCT, the Stratus OCT(TM) and the Visante(TM) OCT, a technology suite that encompasses imaging capabilities for both the front and the back of the eye, identifies all major categories of eye diseases and supports all ophthalmic and optometric specialties. Cumulatively, these devices capture more than 100,000 visual images per day, providing eye care professionals with critical details about the tissues and structures that lie deep inside the eye. "From the time that we set out to develop the first OCT platform, we intended to revolutionize the ophthalmic diagnostic industry," said Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA, one of the original researches on the OCT patent. "OCT technology provides clinicians with images of the eye that no other platform can provide. It is an indispensable tool for the retina practice and pivotal for determining which patients to treat and which intervention to provide, whether pharmacologic or surgical. OCT is especially important to monitor the effectiveness of the new AMD drugs that are entering the market." Carl Zeiss was the first to commercialize OCT technology for ophthalmology, pioneering this market in 1995. In 2002, Carl Zeiss Meditec introduced Stratus OCT(TM), which became a gold standard product with more than 8,000 units in the marketplace today. The largest body of OCT clinical data, a library of more than 2,000 peer reviewed articles and more than 100 US studies, have been published about Stratus OCT(TM). Five years later, Carl Zeiss Meditec launched Cirrus(TM) HD-OCT, the first in its category to deliver high-definition 3D maps. "As one of the innovators of biomedical OCT, I find it so rewarding to see the technology continue to evolve and grow," said James G. Fujimoto, PhD, the key scientist on the original OCT patent. Dr. Fujimoto was the first to use the low coherence light source with a Michelson interferometer in order to create the fundamental scans that comprise the OCT images. In addition to its three major OCT systems, Carl Zeiss Meditec continues to develop powerful software tools to maximize the efficiency and longevity of its OCT technology. New glaucoma and retina imaging applications for Cirrus(TM) HD-OCT provide the most detailed scan patterns and layer maps available for identifying retinal and glaucoma disease characteristics, and monitoring disease progression. Guided Progression Analysis(TM) (GPA) software for Stratus OCT(TM) accurately predicts a patient's stage of disease, rate of progression and risk of future vision loss by measuring statistically significant change. "OCT has become an essential instrument for glaucoma detection and analysis," said Joel S. Schuman, MD, a glaucoma specialist and one of the original researchers on the OCT patent. "With an aging population comes an increased prevalence of glaucoma. The highly accurate images from OCT platforms allow clinicians to better monitor their patients' glaucoma progression and disease state, enabling them to preserve as much vision as possible." Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging method that uses light to scan the retina, and can be performed on undilated pupils as small as 3 mm in diameter. It provides detailed, real-time information about the structure of the living eye available to the clinician. Using light to scan the retina and optic disc, this pioneering technology brought new clinical tools for the diagnosis and management of retinal disease and glaucoma. Brief profile Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ISIN: DE 0005313704) is one of the world's leading medical technology companies. This market position is based on over 160 years of experience in optical innovation. The company has two primary areas of activitiy: In the field of ophthalmology Carl Zeiss Meditec offers integrated solutions for treating the four main eye diseases: vision defects (refraction), cataracts, glaucoma and retinal disorders. The company's system solutions are employed in all phases of the disease management, from diagnosis to treatment and followup. Carl Zeiss Meditec has always applied its technological expertise to product innovations. These innovations range from basic systems such as slit lamps and fundus cameras to standard setting diagnostic systems such as the Humphrey® Field Analyzer, the Cirrus(TM) HD-OCT and the IOLMaster®, through to the surgical microscopes and innovative treatment systems in refractive laser surgery. The product portfolio in ophthalmic surgery is rounded off by intraocular lenses and consumables. In the field of neuro and ENT surgery, Carl Zeiss Meditec is the world's leading provider of surgical microscopes and microsurgical visualisation solutions for a very broad range of applications, such as tumor and vascular surgery in the head region and/or spinal surgery. The most recent example of our innovative performance in the area of microsurgery is the OPMI Pentero® visualisation system, which allows efficient and ergonomic patient treatment. Carl Zeiss Meditec will systematically expand its product range in this area and become a solution provider in neuro and ENT surgery as well. Carl Zeiss Meditec's medical technology portfolio is rounded off by visualisation systems for doctors in private practice and promising future technologies such as intraoperative radiation therapy, which allows the targeted treatment of breast cancer and brain cancer directly during surgery. An aging global population, rising expectations of doctors and patients, together with innovative treatment methods in medical technology are expected to promote market growth in the long term. Carl Zeiss Meditec holds an optimum position for future developments in the health sector. The company focuses its solution portfolio on the three medical challenges with a significant social and economic impact: loss of mobility, vision and cognitive abilities. The goal is to deliver technologies and application-oriented solutions that allow doctors to improve the quality of life of their patients and to further improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment. Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is based in Jena, Germany, with subsidiaries in Germany (Carl Zeiss Surgical GmbH, Carl Zeiss Meditec Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, Acri.Tec AG and Carl Zeiss Medical Software GmbH), the USA (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin California), in Japan (Carl Zeiss Meditec Co., Ltd., Tokyo), Spain (Carl Zeiss Meditec Iberia S.A., Madrid) and France (Carl Zeiss Meditec S.A.S, La Rochelle, and Carl Zeiss Meditec France SAS, Le Pecq). Thirty-five percent of the Carl Zeiss Meditec shares are in free float. The remaining 65 percent are held by Carl Zeiss, one of the world's leading international groups engaged in the optical and opto-electronics industry. Contact Kerstin Nössig/ Public Relations Goeschwitzer Straße 51-52 07745 Jena, Germany Telefon: +49 (0) 36 41 - 2 20 - 3 35 Telefax: +49 (0) 36 41 - 2 20 - 1 12 E-Mail: k.noessig@meditec.zeiss.com Web: http://www.meditec.zeiss.com
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Carl Zeiss Meditec AG Goeschwitzer Strasse 51-52 Jena Germany
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