Carl Zeiss Meditec AG achieves 10,000th placement of diagnostic device

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG placed its 10,000th diagnostic system (IOLMaster) at a customer site earlier this month. The system calculates all necessary eye measurements for determining the most appropriate replacement implant lens during cataract surgery.

Also a completely noninvasive biometry system, the device does not make contact with the patient's eye. The diagnostic system quickly and conveniently measures axial length as well as corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth, according to the company. The alternative for ophthalmologists is ultrasound, a diagnostic procedure that is more time consuming, less accurate, and less comfortable for the patient, the company said.

"We chose to invest in the [diagnostic system] because it is the most accurate method for determining the best lens for our cataract patients," said Douglas Liva, MD, who is in private practice in Paramus, NJ. "The system is more precise, easier to operate, and, ultimately, more comfortable for our patients than immersion ultrasound. For doctors [who] are implanting premium lenses, this technology is essential to the practice in terms of clinical benefits, technician workflow, and patient satisfaction."

In two separate studies conducted by Wolfgang Haigis, PhD, and Warren Hill, MD, more than 95% of all patients with cataracts were measurable. Using state-of-the-art calculation methods, even IOLs for cataract patients who have previously undergone refractive laser correction can be determined easily, according to the company.