|
Press Selection
viewpoint 03/2003 Carl Zeiss Meditec
Workshop on the standards
of the American Health Authorities
Lufthansa Magazin 5/2003
www.kompetenznetze.de - Feature - Jena region
The Home of Innovation
AHK - MGCC Quarterly September/October 2001
The Business Magazine of the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
New methods for excellent eyesight
Medical Technology for Ophthalmology
|
|
|
Press
|
More articles you can find on the German pages under press or in the archives.
AHK - MGCC Quarterly September/October 2001
The Business Magazine of the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
New methods for excellent eyesight
Medical Technology for Ophthalmology
In times where Hi-Tech plays a very significant role, improvements within the medical sector today come
along with innovations of medical technology. From pacemakers to HiFi-hearing aids, from keyhole-operations
to eye laser treatments, from magnetic resonance to the ultrasound image of an unborn baby - highly
developed technological procedures and equipment are a definite must in the daily routines in clinics and
hospitals. For a doctor such procedures and equipments are absolutely essential when it comes to medical
treatment.
In Germany the development and manufacturing of medical products can look back at a long and successful
tradition at the highest level. The medical equipment and products available on the domestic market
ensure exemplary medical care for all social groups of the population. Today the medical technology
industry has become an important economic factor which, due to its continuously growing share in the
export business, contributes considerably to the economic power of the country as well as to the
employment market.
To be able to keep up with today's globalised competition, a rapid conversion of new ideas into products,
an immediate transformation of consequences resulting from medical research into new procedures is
absolutely necessary to become or remain a leader in innovation. By establishing a network of competences
in clinical and industrial research in a certain technology area and by forming clusters, synergies and
extremely efficient structures beneficial to all facilities involved can be created. A showpiece example
therefor is the center of competence for medical technology, OphthalmoInnovation Thüringen (OIT).
With "Research and Service for Ophthalmology" as a motto, internationally well-known research institutes,
excellent universities and university hospitals, enterprises with worldwide operations as well as small
and medium sized companies have come together in Thüringen to further develop or invent new procedures
and products in the sector of medical technology. OphthalmoInnovation, a cluster of all the
aforementioned, with its headquarters in Jena, represents a general chain of competences from medical
research through clinical tests to industrial production of med-tech equipment for the science of eyesight
functional diagnosis as well as for laser therapies in ophthalmology. The center of competence takes on the
following areas of responsibilities:
- OIT initiates the cooperation between science and economy
- OIT co-ordinates research projects
- OIT acquires research projects
- OIT offers systems for clinics and hospitals
- OIT informs about laws and regulations, innovations, medical news of seminars and symposiums
- OIT certifies with the European /CE 0118
- OIT takes over tasks related to project management
The current projects
The utilization of highly modern and innovative medical technology in clinics and private medical
practices is gaining large significance, especially when it comes to fighting against main causes
for blindness in the developed countries.
These comprise of
- Age-related macula degeneration (AMD)
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic Retinopathy as well as
- Arterial and venous hardenings
To control these syndromes effectively, OphthalmoInnovation is currently vigorously pursueing the
following projects:
Eyesight and blindness - Diagnostic Methods
Eye defects are known to be mainly connected to microcirculation and metabolic malfunctions of the
eyes. New stimulation methods and measurement techniques for retina circulation should enable more
transparency of the microcirculation functions. With these methods a better understanding of functional
perspectives of retina circulation not known or not verified to date has been made possible. The
unique optical capture of retinal circulation for "microangiology" of the eye expands the angiologie of
the macrovascular systems by representativ non-invasive methods. This in particular allows the diagnosis
of glaucoma, as well as the sequelae of diabetes mellitus.
Eyesight and Blindness- Therapeutic Procedures
In the developed countries macula degeneration (AMD) is the major cause for people above the age of 50
to lose their eyesight. Contrary to the traditional laser photo coagulation, the photo dynamic therapie
(PDT) enables a treatment without side effects. In a two-stage process the patient receives firstly an
injection of photosensitive colouring which accumulates selectively in the retina. The subsequent ray
treatment of the defected tissue activates the substance and causes the therapeutics effect. This
reduces the risk of losing one's visual acuity.
Eyesight means Life Quality
In the area of ophthalmology, the possibility of bringing energy accurately and without direct contact
into the tissue has opened up a large variety of areas where this can be implemented. The refractive laser
surgery with the excimer laser is reputed to be a recognized correction methode of eye defects, such
as shortsightedness, longsightedness and astigmatism. Grave eyesight anomalies could not be removed
so far. OphthalmoInnovation gathers information on correction methods of serious eye aberrations and
evaluates them. Implemented accordingly and in appropriate ways, excimer laser can be utilized to
rectify more complex eye defects. The project makes it possible for the patients to know more about
the expected results of the laser operation even before the operation itself.
...
|
back to the press selection
|
|
