| January 19, 2005 |
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Olympus Medical Systems Corporation
Terumo Corporation |
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Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Saphenous Vein Harvesting System Introduced in North American Market by Terumo
— Second Collaborative Development Project by Olympus Medical Systems and Terumo — |
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| VirtuoSaph™ |
| From above: |
Dissector |
| Harvester |
| Trocar |
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| In April 2001 Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Medical, head office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo,) and Terumo Corporation (head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) formed a comprehensive business alliance in the field of medical devices. This collaboration has resulted in the development of the VirtuoSaph™ endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) system, in which an endoscope is used to separate and extract saphenous vein material*1 from the leg for use in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)*2. Terumo commenced sales in North America, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia on January 12. There are also plans for its introduction in Europe and Asia. The sales target for fiscal 2006 is ¥1.3 billion. |
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| *1 |
Saphenous vein |
| The saphenous vein is located just beneath the skin of the inner thigh. |
| *2 |
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) |
| This type of heart surgery is performed when the coronary artery on the surface of the heart becomes constricted or blocked due to arteriosclerosis or other conditions. To improve the blood flow, a bypass is created by grafting vein extracted from the chest or leg. Every year this procedure is performed about 300,000 times in the United States and about 30,000 times in Japan. |
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Endoscopic Vein Harvesting (EVH)
With this procedure, an endoscope is inserted through a small incision in the leg and used to separate and extract the vein. This technique reduces the physical burden on the patient, since the vein can be harvested without making a large incision in the skin. Advantages include reduced postoperative scarring, an accelerated recovery, and a lower risk of infection. EVH has been used in the United States since around 1997. Today about 40% of veins used in CABG are harvested using this method. |
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| Key Features of VirtuoSaph™ |
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| 1. |
Simple to Use, Easy to Learn |
| The system is designed for ease of operation and is equipped with electrodes to facilitate efficient processing of side veins branching out from the main vein. Basic procedures can be performed using one hand, by pulling, turning and pushing the entire harvester and the control unit with the fingers. The skills required are easy to learn. |
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Wiper to Keep Endoscope Tip Clean |
| The harvester is equipped with a wiper to remove fat, etc., adhering to the tip of the endoscope. Good visibility can be restored simply by operating a lever on the handle. |
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| Production planning and development for the VirtuoSaph™ was carried out by Olympus Medical and Terumo, who is responsible for marketing. Olympus Medical and Terumo have advanced technology in the fields of endoscopy and heart surgery, and they have gained large shares of the world markets. The alliance has allowed them to take full advantage of their respective strengths. In the future Olympus Medical and Terumo will aggressively build sales by combining their strengths to introduce internationally competitive products. In addition to their efforts in the field of cardiovascular surgery, Olympus Medical and Terumo have already introduced products for use in gastroenterology and are currently collaborating on product development in the field of urological surgery. They will continue to make a positive contribution to next-generation medicine by working together to develop minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment systems that reduce the pain and physical burden experienced by patients. |
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| * “VirtuoSaph” is a registered trademark of Terumo Corporation. |
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| Corporate Profiles |
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| Olympus Medical Corporation |
| Head Office |
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Shinjuku Monolith, 3-1, Nishi-shinjuku 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo |
| Principal officer |
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Koji Miyata (President) |
| Establishment |
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2004 |
| Paid-in Capital |
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1,000 millions of yen (October 1, 2004) |
| Consolidated Net Sales |
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216,915 millions of yen(Olympus Corporation Medical Systems Group, End of March, 2004) |
| Number of Employees |
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8,259(Olympus Corporation Medical Systems Group, End of September, 2004) |
| Main Business |
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Manufacturing and sales of medical endoscopes and equipment ,devices :
Gastrointestinal endoscopes; endosurgery systems, endotherapy accessories, Ultrasound endoscopy, others. |
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| Olympus developed the first gastrocamera in 1950, and has since developed a wide range of fiberscopes and videoscopes for direct internal observation of the human body. Today, we are expanding our minimally invasive treatment business to offer a wide range of instruments and peripheral devices for medical treatment and clinical diagnoses, including endoscopic surgery. We are improving medical and healthcare services by developing “more patient-friendly medical care” technology for early detection and treatment of diseases, even “greater reliability” in our unsurpassed devices, and “high efficiency” in our products and services to better serve our customers’ needs. |
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| Terumo Corporation |
| Head Office |
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44-1, Hatagaya 2-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo |
| Principal officer |
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Takashi Wachi(Chairman and CEO) |
| Establishment |
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1921 |
| Paid-in Capital |
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38,716 millions of yen (End of March, 2004) |
| Consolidated Net Sales |
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215,195 millions of yen (End of March, 2004) |
| Number of Employees |
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9,094 (End of March, 2004) |
| Main Business |
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Manufacturing and sales of medical products, nutritional food supplement, blood bags, disposable medical devices, heart-lung machine system, artificial vessel, medical electronic and digital thermometers, etc. |
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| Terumo has gained large shares of domestic and international markets in a number of fields, including disposable medical devices, nutritional products and transfusion products. It is the world’s leading supplier of angioplasty guide wires. Terumo also has a reputation for expertise in the area of advanced medical equipment, such as catheters and stents used to carry out procedures inside blood vessels, as well as artificial lung systems. |
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*The medical systems group of Olympus Corporation was reorganized as a separate company, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation, as of October 1, 2004.
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