Carl Zeiss Meditec to showcase new clinical and productivity tools at AAO annual meeting

Carl Zeiss Meditec will showcase new clinical and productivity tools across the glaucoma, retina, cataract and refractive workplaces during this week's American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in Orlando at booth #821. As part of its complete approach to ophthalmic care, the company will also introduce a partnership with Dr. Jack Holladay, creator of the Holladay 2 formula.

"With an increasing number of patients with serious eye diseases and declining reimbursement, ophthalmologists are faced with more challenges than ever. We know it is no longer enough to just deliver state-of-the-art clinical instruments," said Dr. Ludwin Monz, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG. "Rather it is important to connect all instruments to a connectivity solution to enable efficiency and continuous workflows. Further crucial elements are training and support so that our customers are able to deliver excellent continuum of care while streamlining their practice and ultimately increasing their revenue."

At AAO, Carl Zeiss Meditec will demonstrate the new FORUM^® LINK Tools for their eye care data management system, which offer greater connectivity by allowing data integration of non-DICOM-compliant instruments with the benefits of a DICOM workflow. FORUM uses HL7 and DICOM communication standards to create a closed-loop information flow of patient demographics to the company's and DICOM-enabled third-party instruments. It also integrates data with a wide variety of electronic health records (EHRs), including NextGen^TM Healthcare, Compulink, Epic, Greenway^® Medical, ifa^® systems and VersaSuite. FORUM, together with an EHR system, combines image and practice management software for a complete, centralized, paperless record of diagnostic images, patient history and demographics.

FORUM will also be exhibited at the AAO sponsored IHE Eye Care Multi-vendor Interoperability Showcase at the Electronic Office booth #3345.

Carl Zeiss Meditec continuously works on enhancing the clinical benefits of its systems. The company's partnership with Dr. Jack Holladay will enable the company to incorporate the 4th generation Holladay 2 formula inside its IOLMaster^® 500, the standard-of-care for precision biometry. Currently, the Holladay 2 formula enables a faster, easier and more convenient approach to obtain highly accurate intraocular lens (IOL) power calculations and is the leading formula used by U.S. cataract surgeons. Exclusive to Carl Zeiss Meditec, the IOLMaster 500 will be the only biometer on the market with the Holladay 2 formula inside the instrument, enabling surgeons to do calculations without the need to transfer data to an external computer.

"I am gratified that a much larger population of surgeons and their patients will benefit from the improved accuracy of IOL power calculations by having direct access to the Holladay 2 formula," said Dr. Holladay.

Additionally, Carl Zeiss Meditec's U.S. Customer Care division, recipient of the North Face Scoreboard Award for service excellence since 2003, is expanding its service offerings to provide customers with more options and flexibility in choosing a plan that best meets their service needs.

"With our comprehensive product offerings and service plans, we are providing our customers with a greater level of benefits to support and enhance their patient care and increase their efficiency in the workplace," said Dr. Monz. "We strive to provide high precision technology and comprehensive service programs that ensure that we are partnering with our customers for the entire lifespan of their instrument and beyond."