OptiMedica Unveils New PASCAL Slim Line™ Photocoagulator At World Ophthalmology Congress

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 30 Jun 2008 - 10:00 PDT

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OptiMedica Corp., a global ophthalmic company, has announced the debut of its new PASCAL Slim Line Photocoagulator at the World Ophthalmology Congress, Hong Kong (June 28 - July 2). Answering the needs of today's busy, office-based ophthalmology practices, the Slim Line provides physicians and their patients the significant benefits of the PASCAL® Method of pattern scanning in a new, compact design.

Representing a major leap forward from single-spot green laser photocoagulation, the PASCAL Method is a proprietary, semi-automated pattern generation technique that allows the rapid delivery of 532 nanometer laser pulses in a predetermined sequence. Indicated for a variety of retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and retinal vascular occlusive disease, the PASCAL Method enables physicians to dramatically improve their control of the precision, safety and efficiency of the photocoagulation procedure, while optimizing patient comfort and convenience.

"Our initial experience with the PASCAL Slim Line has been excellent," said Tom Chang, M.D., Retina Institute of California. "The Slim Line delivers all of the functionality and performance of the original PASCAL product while offering the convenience of a much more compact form factor. I believe it will be well received by office-based practices like ours that value its full functionality, minimal space requirements and enhanced economics."

The PASCAL Slim Line is currently available in the United States and Japan and will be rolled out worldwide over the fourth quarter of 2008. The PASCAL family of products also includes the PASCAL Photocoagulator, OptiMedica's premier, fully integrated pattern scanning system. Since its worldwide market introduction in 2006, PASCAL photocoagulation procedures have been performed on tens of thousands of patients worldwide.

"The launch of the PASCAL Slim Line represents OptiMedica's unwavering commitment to meeting customer needs," said Mark J. Forchette, president and chief executive officer of OptiMedica. "We are thrilled to report that early users have already given us rave reviews for Slim Line's performance and sleek design, which together are aimed at addressing the unique clinical and economic challenges of the office-based practice."

About OptiMedica

Based in Santa Clara, Calif., OptiMedica Corp. is a global ophthalmic company dedicated to advancing the practice of ophthalmology for the benefit of physicians and their patients. The company holds the exclusive license to the PASCAL Photocoagulator technology, which was originally developed at Stanford University. OptiMedica is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Alloy Ventures and DAG Ventures.

OptiMedica