Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and TBI/Tissue Banks International
TBI is first to use Microscope in Eye Banking Setting
DUBLIN, Calif./BALTIMORE, Md., April 19, 2007 -- Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and TBI/Tissue Banks International are pleased to announce the installation of an OPMI® VISU 140, donated by Carl Zeiss Meditec to The National Eye Bank Center – TBI’s new state-of-the-art facility in Memphis, Tenn. TBI will be the first eye banking organization to utilize the microscope, which is typically used in operating rooms, to help in the evaluation and preparation of corneal tissue for transplant.
The OPMI VISU will be used primarily in the preparation of pre-cut corneas and will allow technicians to perform tasks including positioning, cutting, and marking the cornea with greater accuracy.
Pre-cut corneas are used in a revolutionary new surgery that represents the first real changes in cornea transplants since the development of storage media in the 1970s. Known as Descement’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK or DSEK) or Posterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (PLK), these new procedures replace only the damaged layers of a patient’s cornea with health donor tissue. Avoiding the replacement of the entire cornea offers patients some advantages which can include quicker healing time.
“Nearly half of our requests for corneal tissue are for these new corneal transplant procedures and increasingly, surgeons are asking TBI to prepare the tissue,” said Gerald J. Cole, President and CEO of TBI. “The OPMI VISU from Carl Zeiss Meditec provides our eye bank staff with unprecedented visibility of the corneal tissue they are cutting for surgeons, and has already provided enhanced results for our ophthalmologists.”
The OPMI® VISU 140 delivers the basic functions necessary for physicians to perform efficient surgery. The main lens and zoom optics are apochromatically corrected and the co-axial illumination provides an excellent red reflex. Additionally, in surgical applications, the integrated UV filter delivers optimum protection to the patient.
“We are grateful to be the first eye banking facility working with Carl Zeiss Meditec to expand the use of this microscope beyond the operating room,” said The National Eye Bank Center Medical Director, Thomas O. Wood, M.D. “More precise graft preparation will enhance the quality of TBI corneas, and allow for improved outcomes for transplant recipients.”
The National Eye Bank Center is a state-of-the-art facility designed to centralize the screening, evaluation and shipping of eye tissue for sight-restoring corneal transplant surgery. The first such Center in the world, the multi-million dollar project offers surgeons and their patients the largest concentration of ocular tissue and pre-cut grafts for ocular surgery. Through centralized processing, The Center ensures the tissue’s safety, quality, and rapid and efficient distribution to surgeons and researchers in the United States and overseas.
Primary among the ocular tissues recovered by TBI eye banks is the cornea, the clear piece of tissue at the front of the eye. When damaged by disease, trauma or inherited conditions, loss of sight can occur, but often can be reversed through corneal transplantation.
About Carl Zeiss Meditec
Built on an unparalleled 160-year heritage of optical innovation, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (International Securities Identification Number DE000531370) is one of the world’s leading eye care solutions providers.
Its product line includes systems for the diagnosis and treatment of the four main diseases of the eye: vision defects (refraction), cataracts, glaucoma and retinal disorders. The company has incorporated its technological expertise into a stream of product innovations throughout the years, from slit lamps and fundus cameras; to the Humphrey® Field Analyzer, recognized as the global standard for glaucoma detection and management; to its newest applications of lasers as embodied in its leading-edge MEL 80™ refractive laser, and innovative STRATUS OCT™ device as an aid for glaucoma detection and management. Since 2005, the company has also been present in the market for intraocular lenses and consumables, and now covers almost the entire value chain of ophthalmic surgery. The company is looking to continue its profitable growth in the future. The acquisition of Carl Zeiss Surgical further supplements the product portfolio in ophthalmic surgery and opens up additional growth prospects in neuro and ENT surgery. Carl Zeiss Surgical is the world’s leading provider of visualization solutions in the two named fields.
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is based in Jena, Germany, with subsidiaries in the USA (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc.), Japan (Carl Zeiss Meditec Co., Ltd.), Spain (Carl Zeiss Meditec Iberia S.A.) and France (IOLTECH S.A., Carl Zeiss Meditec SAS). The rapidly aging global population and other trends are expected to grow the ophthalmic market in the long term. The company is focused on applying innovative optical technologies to protect and enhance vision now and into the future.
Thirty-five percent of 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.
About TBI:
Non-profit TBI/Tissue Banks International, founded as a single eye bank in 1962, today is a far-reaching network of associated eye and tissue banks throughout the United States and across the globe. Providing nearly 10,000 corneas annually, TBI is the largest single provider of ocular tissue in the world. For additional information about TBI and The National Eye Bank Center, visit TBI’s website: www.tbionline.org.
For further information concerning this press release, contact:
Amy Cook
925-552-7893
[email protected]
###