OmniGuide Begins European Commercialization
Clinical Utilization and Sales Commence on Flexible CO2 Laser Fibers
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 26 / / -- OmniGuide, Inc. (http://www.omni-guide.com/) today announced that European commercialization has begun for its flexible CO2 laser fibers. The OmniGuide family of CO2 laser fibers and accessories will primarily be utilized for otology, laryngology and head & neck surgery. Additional applications in gynecology, gastroenterology, laparoscopy and bronchoscopy are under development and will be commercialized over the next year.
"Since the beginning of 2007 over 1000 successful minimally invasive surgeries have been enabled using our flexible surgical fibers to the benefit of patients across the US. We are thrilled to begin addressing the need for precision surgical fiber cutting tools in Europe," said Prof. Yoel Fink, OmniGuide co-Founder. "Europe is the second geographical market after the United States for the introduction of the surgical product portfolio based on OmniGuide's CO2 fiber technology. Surgeons and patients throughout Europe will begin to realize the same benefits that our current surgeons have communicated to us about the OmniGuide system: reduced procedure times, broader treatment options, less invasive surgical treatments and improved surgical technique."
The first European surgical cases were performed by the Department of Otolaryngology at the CHUV Medical Center in Lausanne, Switzerland led by Prof. Monnier. According to primary investigator Dr. Luc Bron, the initial cases of head and neck tumor resection, laryngology and otologic stapedectomy were very successful.
OmniGuide is currently supporting initial European centers through a direct clinical and sales operation from its Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters. As the European business expands, alternative support and distribution alternatives will be evaluated.
About OmniGuide Technology
The OmniGuide OtoBeam, BeamPath and LightPath flexible CO2 laser fiber systems are FDA-cleared and CE Marked devices, and have treated over 1,200 patients in approximately 150 U.S. and European medical facilities. CO2 laser energy offers unparalleled precision and a high degree of control over penetration into soft tissue. These attributes are critical in otology, laryngology, laparoscopy, GI, head and neck surgery, and pulmonology procedures for which there is the potential to damage delicate untargeted structures. 20,000 CO2 lasers have been deployed in operating rooms throughout the world. However, until now, CO2 lasers have limited applications to invasive surgery due to the absence of a fiber delivery system at their wavelength of operation.
The key to OmniGuide's technology is a revolutionary photonic bandgap fiber that was originally invented and developed at MIT. The company holds an exclusive license from MIT and has added an extensive portfolio of related US and international patents. The technology was first published in Nature in 2002.
For more information, please contact:
Doug Hutchison, VP Sales and Marketing, dough@omni-guide.com
Source: OmniGuide, Inc.
CONTACT: Doug Hutchison, VP Sales and Marketing of OmniGuide, Inc., dough@omni-guide.com
Web site: http://www.omni-guide.com/
