Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (President: Haruhito Morishima) has provided a US$500,000 research grant to the Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research™ (NOSCAR™) ^*1, which discusses and supports research into Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery™ (NOTES™) ^*2. The grant, which follows a similar one in February 2007 and now totals US$1 million, will be used to support further advances in the use of endoscopic surgical techniques to reduce the impact of surgery on patients.

For several decades Olympus has been the technological leader in endoscopy and an innovator in minimally invasive surgery. Our organization is widely involved in the field of minimally invasive diagnosis and therapy, with products ranging from gastrointestinal endoscopes and EndoTherapy devices to surgical endoscopes and therapeutic devices. Through its partnership with gastroenterologists and surgeons and their respective professional societies, Olympus listens to the needs of clinicians and provides solutions that benefit patients’ quality of life. Olympus is committed to supporting fundamental research in emerging transdisciplinary therapies that will advance and potentially revolutionize minimally invasive therapies, such as NOTES™, and is also contributing to the development of technology that will contribute to the establishment of future minimally invasive therapies, including NOTES™, through the merging technologies of gastrointestinal endoscopes, EndoTherapy devices and surgical endoscopy equipments.

A slogan expressing our efforts to create the minimally invasive therapies of the future

*1

The Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research™ (NOSCAR™) is a committee of American internal medicine specialists and surgeons. It was jointly established by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) to discuss and support NOTES™ research.

*2

Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery™ (NOTES™) is a technique that straddles the boundary between surgery and internal medicine. It involves the use of flexible endoscopes to approach the abdominal cavity via lumenal organs, such as the stomach, colon, uterus or bladder. The aim is to reduce the impact of surgery on patients. NOSCAR™ was established in October 2005 to discuss and support research relating to this technique, which is the focus of extensive basic research.

Haruhito Morishima, President, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation.

“Laparoscopic surgery, which was developed in the late 1980s, has less impact on patients than laparotomy. To take an example to show how common laparoscopic surgery has become, most cholecystectomies are performed laparoscopically in developed countries. As the technological leader in endoscopy, we have been providing research grants to NOSCAR™ since 2007, to support further progress in the development of minimally invasive therapies. We sincerely hope that the research projects for which our grants have been used will bring about a new, less invasive therapy as soon as possible, to further alleviate the impact on patients.”

Robert H. Hawes, MD, FASGE, ASGE past president and NOSCAR™ Joint Committee Co-Chair

“NOTES™ is moving forward more rapidly than initially expected. Three years ago, we never anticipated the progress in the research arena that has been made in such a short period. Thanks to leaders such as Olympus, we are making great strides in NOTES™ technology. ”

David W. Rattner, MD, SAGES past president and NOSCAR™ Joint Committee co-chair

“We are most grateful to Olympus for its ongoing commitment and vision in supporting NOTES™ research.”