Laser has CE mark approval

Santa Clara, CA-Upon receiving CE mark approval for marketing in Europe, OptiMedica Corp. expects to begin shipping its laser system for cataract surgery (Catalys Precision) in the fourth quarter of this year.

The system is CE mark-approved to deliver capsulotomy and lens fragmentation. The company expects the system to receive CE mark approval for corneal incisions soon.

It combines a femtosecond laser, integrated optical coherence tomography imaging, and the company’s pattern scanning technology. The system is designed to be ergonomic and easy to use to improve the precision and accuracy of cataract surgery.

Key innovations, according to the company, include an interface designed to ensure stable system-patient attachment and to optimize the optical path to the patient’s eye, a proprietary guidance system designed to ensure that the femtosecond laser pulses are delivered safely and precisely to the intended location, and a graphical user interface created to simplify the planning process and to minimize the time that the patient is under the dock.

“We believe that the field of cataract surgery is in the midst of a revolutionary change, and we expect [the system] to provide leading technology that satisfies the high expectations of surgeons and their patients,” said Mark J. Forchette, OptiMedica president and chief executive officer. The company expects to introduce the system to markets around the world soon, he added.