DUBLIN, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared RESCAN 700 for sale in the United States, bringing to U.S. ophthalmologists an emerging technology that aims to overcome the trouble surgeons may have in seeing certain anatomical details during eye surgery.
High-definition OCT images appear directly in the LUMERA 700 microscope eyepiece, adding a real-time third dimension to the visualization capabilities. Surgeons are provided unprecedented views below the surface of the surgical field – enabling them to see more, even transparent structures in the anterior and posterior segment of the eye.
“Intraoperative OCT allows me to see things I could not see otherwise,” said Justis P. Ehlers, MD, of Cleveland, Ohio, who has been using RESCAN 700 on an investigational basis for nine months. “I use intraoperative OCT in most of my surgeries. We have found that real-time OCT feedback during surgery can improve our understanding of anatomy and impact surgical decision-making, particularly in membrane peeling cases and complex detachments -- for example, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.”
ZEISS RESCAN 700 helps surgeons to concentrate more on the surgical procedure, as the necessary structural information known from pre-operative OCTs is available all the time intraoperatively. Additionally, the continuous OCT scanning supports achieving better patient outcomes because the surgeon can monitor progress and verify results during the procedure.
“One of the great features of the RESCAN 700 is the foot pedal control of the OCT beam – I can rapidly place it right where I need it during the surgery,” said Dr. Ehlers, who has been the lead investigator for a prospective study with more than 200 cases examining microscope-integrated OCT and ophthalmic surgery. “And the Z-tracking feature enables improved stability of the OCT image during surgery-induced motion.”
OCT scans can also be stored and recalled for review. That way the new device enables better decision-making during surgery. “As a surgeon, I appreciate the confirmation of my surgical objectives that intraoperative OCT provides,” Dr. Ehlers said. “I receive guidance for where it’s optimal to start surgical maneuvers, and then subsequent feedback on whether I have accomplished the surgical objectives.”
RESCAN 700 is useful for various surgeries in the anterior and posterior segment of the eye with a broad range of potential applications. “We are happy that now U.S. surgeons can also benefit from this new visualization technology and its potential to help them improve patient outcomes,” said Dr. Ludwin Monz, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG. “The merging of two of our gold standards into one system creates vast possibilities for changing ophthalmic surgery and expanding the capabilities of surgeons, especially for retina and cornea procedures.”
RESCAN 700 was recently recognized as one of the top 15 medical innovations in the “2014 Innovation Awards,” published by The Ophthalmologist.
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
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 designed to help doctors improve the quality of life of their patients. It provides complete packages of solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, including implants and consumable materials. The company creates innovative visualization solutions in the field of microsurgery. The medical technology portfolio of Carl Zeiss Meditec is rounded off by promising, future-oriented technologies such as intraoperative radiotherapy. In financial year 2012/2013 (ended 30 September) the Group's more than 2,500 employees generated revenue of € 906 million. The head office of Carl Zeiss Meditec is in Jena, Germany.
The company has subsidiaries in Germany and abroad; more than 50 percent of its employees are based in the USA, Japan, Spain and France. The Center for Research and Development (CARIn) in Bangalore, India and the Carl Zeiss Innovations Center for Research and Development in Shanghai, China, strengthen the Company's presence in these rapidly developing economies. Around 35 percent of Carl Zeiss Meditec shares are in free float. The remaining 65 percent are held by Carl Zeiss AG, one of the world’s leading groups in the optical and optoelectronic industries.
For more than 160 years, Carl Zeiss has been contributing to the progress of technology on the markets for Industrial Solutions, Research Solutions, Medical Technology and Consumer Optics, improving the quality of life for many people. Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen, is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
For more information visit our website at: www.meditec.zeiss.com
