Karl Storz to Distribute ESC's GyneLase

A laser device developed by ESC Medical Systems, Ltd. (Yokneam, Israel) to treat menorrhagia will be exclusively distributed worldwide by Karl Storz GmbH (Tuttlingen, Germany), according to an agreement signed by the two companies. Under this agreement, Karl Storz will make a minimum purchase of more than US$50 million worth of lasers and disposables during the next four years. The company manufactures and markets endoscopic and surgical equipment used in gynecology and other clinical specialties.

Called GyneLase, the device is a portable tabletop diode laser used with disposable applicators in a minimally invasive procedure known as endometrial laser intrauterine thermal therapy (ELITT), which treats the tissue in the endometrium that causes excessive menstrual bleeding. Pioneered by Prof. J. Donnez of the Catholic University of Louvain (Brussels, Belgium), the procedure takes only seven minutes, without the need for general anesthesia or a hospital stay. The procedure is designed as an alternative to a hysterectomy, which requires anesthesia and hospitalization.

"The combination of ESC's innovative laser technology with our extensive marketing and sales capabilities should enable us to capture significant market share of this large and growing market,” said Helmut Wehrstein, head of worldwide product management for Karl Stroz.



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ESC Medical
GyneLase
Karl Storz