Carl Zeiss Meditec Introduces New Humphrey Field Analyzer For Glaucoma Management And Blindness Prevention
Humphrey Field Analyzers are used by more eye care providers than any other automated diagnostic perimeter today and more than 60 thousand units have been sold since the first system was introduced in 1984. The HFA II-i is the newest and most advanced visual field testing platform and the GPA feature adds significant new diagnostic power to this established platform.
"Vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible. Thus, it is vital that doctors be able to efficiently differentiate between those patients who are doing well on present therapy versus those who are not stabilized," said Robert N. Weinreb, M.D., distinguished professor of ophthalmology and director, Hamilton Glaucoma Center of the University of California, San Diego. "Only by identifying the patients who continue to progress can glaucoma be appropriately managed to prevent vision loss or even blindness."
With Guided Progression Analysis software, the HFA II-i's standard printout presents each glaucoma patient's baseline fields, disease staging versus time, rate of progression and most recent test result - all on a single page. This new presentation format is designed to simplify and streamline clinical processes. GPA uses VFI, or Visual Field Index, to correlate with ganglion cell density and is less affected by cataract and other media changes compared with earlier indices. The HFA II-i's GPA program is based upon data gathered from a 15-center international clinical trial and its progression event analysis was used as an endpoint in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial.
Guided progression analysis software also is available for the GDx Scanning Laser Polarimeter and the Stratus OCT with Advanced Serial Analysis.
"The goal of our investment in new glaucoma technologies is to preserve eyesight for the nearly 60 million people worldwide suffering from this disease," said Jim Taylor, Carl Zeiss Meditec president and chief executive officer. "The HFA II-i with new GPA software helps doctors closely monitor their glaucoma patients and ensure that each patient is receiving the best course of treatment to prevent vision loss. We are proud that our Humphrey Field Analyzers have been a standard of care for nearly a quarter of a century and we are committed to continuing our efforts to provide new capabilities through new products and upgrade opportunities."
Glaucoma is a degenerative disease of the optic nerve. Most types of glaucoma progress without obvious symptoms, which is why glaucoma is often described as the "sneak thief of sight." Visual damage is largely irreversible and may lead to blindness. A 2006 study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology estimates that 60.5 million people will be affected worldwide by 2010, increasing to 79.6 million by 2020 as the population ages.
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 activity. 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. Product innovations range from basic systems such as slit lamps and fundus cameras to standard setting diagnostic systems such as the Humphrey® Field Analyzer, the Stratus OCT™ and the IOLMaster®, through to the surgical microscopes and innovative treatment systems in refractive laser surgery.
In the field of neuro and ENT surgery, Carl Zeiss Meditec is the world's leading provider of surgical microscopes and microsurgical visualization solutions for a very broad range of applications, such as tumour 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® visualization system, which allows efficient and ergonomic patient treatment.
Carl Zeiss Meditec's medical technology portfolio is rounded off by visualization 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.
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is based in Jena, Germany, with subsidiaries in Germany (Carl Zeiss Meditec Surgical GmbH and Carl Zeiss Meditec Vertriebsgesellschaf mbH), 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 (Ioltech SAS, 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. For more information, visit http://www.meditec.zeiss.com/usa.
Sources:
1. Am J Ophthalmol 2008;145:343-353.
2. H A Quigley. A T Broman. The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020. British Journal of Ophthalmology 2006;90:262-267.
Carl Zeiss Meditec
Carl Zeiss Meditec introduce noi Humphrey domeniul Analyzer pentru glaucom ºi orbire de management de prevenire a - Carl Zeiss Meditec Introduces New Humphrey Field Analyzer For Glaucoma Management And Blindness Prevention - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate