September 26, 2005

Olympus Introduces the ENF TYPE V2 VISERA Rhino-Laryngo Videoscope — World’s Slimmest Distal End * Measuring Only 3.2mm —

The ENF-V2 (entire system)		The distal end of the ENF-V2

Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (President: Haruhito Morishima) is pleased to announce the OLYMPUS ENF TYPE V2 (ENF-V2) VISERA Rhino-Laryngo videoscope. The new scope has the world’s slimmest distal end* with an external diameter of only 3.2mm. Olympus plans to launch the ENF-V2 onto the Japan and U.S. market on October 3. This will be followed by its introduction on other markets, including the European and Asia markets, and eventually worldwide. Olympus sought to create a system that would be easier to insert into the pharynx, larynx and nasal cavity. It succeeded by reducing the diameter of the ENF-V2 distal end by 0.7mm compared with the conventional model to create the world’s slimmest rhino-laryngo videoscope.

*   As of September 2005

The ENF-V2 will be on display in the Olympus Medical Systems booth at the 44th Symposium of the Japan Rhinologic Society (President: Hiroshi Takenaka, Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Medical College), which will be held at the Hotel Hanshin in Osaka from Thursday, September 29 to Saturday, October 1.

Product Launched date OLYMPUS ENF TYPE V2VISERA Rhino-Laryngo Videoscope October 3, 2005

Key Features

1.	The ENF-V2 is the world’s slimmest rhino-laryngo videoscope with external distal end diameter of only 3.2mm.
2.	Despite its thin distal end, the ENF-V2 provides the same image resolution and brightness as conventional models.
3.	The effective length has been shortened for enhanced ease of operation.

Background

Endoscopes are used for observation and treatment in a wide range of fields, including gastrointestinal, bronchial, urology and gynecological medicine, because of their potential to contribute to quality of life (QOL) improvements for patients.

They are also used extensively in the nose and throat field at all levels from general practitioners up to university hospitals, especially for out-patient examinations. In recent years there has been a growing need for the enhanced image quality provided by “chip-on-the-tip” videoscopes with charge-coupled devices (CCD) mounted on their tips. However, until now users have assumed that a thicker tip was the trade-off for the superior image quality of videoscopes, and that the thinner distal end of fiberscopes inevitably meant reduced image quality. Both general practitioners and also clinicians working in out-patient facilities have long awaited the development of a thinner videoscope for use in rhino-laryngo field examinations.

Since introducing its first rhino-laryngo videoscope in 1998, Olympus has worked to respond to this market need for a system capable of combining high image quality with a thinner distal end. With an exterior diameter of only 3.2mm, the new ENF-V2 is the world’s slimmest rhino-laryngo videoscope, yet it maintains the same light level as conventional systems.

Detailed Features

1.	World’s slimmest rhino-laryngo videoscope — distal end diameter only 3.2mm
	Olympus has reduced the external diameter of the distal end by 0.7mm (compared with the OLYMPUS ENF TYPE V) to 3.2mm. Though the new system is the world’s slimmest rhino-laryngo videoscope, it still provides the superior image brightness and clarity that users expect of videoscopes. The ENF-V2 is significantly easier to insert and is ideal for routine examinations.
2.	Same resolution and brightness as conventional model, despite small diameter
	The insertion section of the videoscope contains a fiber bundle used to carry light to the distal end of the scope. In the ENF-V2, the fiber bundle has been positioned to make optimal use of the limited space inside the thin distal end. Despite its external diameter of only 3.2mm, it is able to provide the same standards of brightness and clarity as conventional scopes.
3.	Reduction of effective length for improved ease of operation
	The effective length of the scope has been reduced by 65mm compared with the conventional model. The result is an improvement in the overall ease of operation of the scope.

The ENF-V2 Specifications

Field of View 90° Direction of View 0° Distal End Outer Diameter Ø3.2mm Insertion Portion Outer Diameter Ø3.4mm Working Length 300mm Angulation Range Up 130°/ Down 130°