WESTBOROUGH, Mass., March 24, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viking Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:VKNG), a leading worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of 3D and 2D visualization solutions for complex minimally invasive surgery, reports on developments from the European Association of Urology Congress in Vienna.
During the Congress, the Company's 3DHD Vision System was used by Professor Gunter Janetschek, Medical University Salzburg, Department of Urology, to make a three dimensional video of a reanastomosis of a urethra in an anatomical model utilizing Terumo's Kymerax Precision Drive Articulating Surgical System. The video, which was presented in Viking's booth at the Congress, showed the benefits of the combination of 3D vision and articulating instrumentation, and drew a tremendous amount of attention from surgeons interested in alternatives to more expensive robotic solutions. The system was a combination of Viking's 3DHD Vision System and Terumo's Kymerax™ Precision Drive Articulating Surgical System.
In an interview during the Congress, Prof. Janetschek discussed the combination of Terumo's Kymerax Precision Drive Articulating Surgical System and Viking Systems' 3DHD Vision System, comparing the combination to the Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci robot saying, "With the da Vinci robot, you have two clear advantages [compared with 2D laparoscopic surgery]: more degrees of freedom with instruments and 3D vision, which makes it easier to work. And now—and this is completely recent—we have new technologies for giving us the same degrees of freedom as with the da Vinci robot but you have these instruments in your hand so you stay at the table—so you are not working at a console—you are back at the table so you have feedback when you work so you have another advantage back which you had lost with the da Vinci robot. And now 3D vision for conventional laparoscopy has become mature, which is also a big advantage. I have followed 3D TV for laparoscopy for more than fifteen years and so far it was just not good enough. But now it is here. And now, when you combine those two instruments—the motor-driven instruments which you can use at the table and 3D—then you can go very far. And this is extremely interesting now for the future."
Prof. Janetschek concluded, "In fact, we are planning to do the first surgery on a patient with this new technology—a world-wide first surgery with this—at the beginning of May in a hospital in Salzburg." Prof. Janetschek plans to use the Viking 3DHD Vision System for this surgery.
Jed Kennedy, President and CEO of Viking Systems said, "We were quite pleased with the interest in our 3DHD Vision System. Prof. Janetschek's comments are consistent with our belief that there is a large and growing market for our 3DHD Vision System not only as a stand alone vision system but also as a critical component of both surgical robot systems and advanced articulating laparoscopic instrument systems. Since we launched our system in October of last year, we have had continuing discussions with device companies that are developing surgical robotics and/or advanced hand-held articulating surgical instruments and who have come to realize the advantage that 3D vision brings in enabling the effective use of these advanced products they are developing. Our collaboration with Terumo's Kymerax system is just one example of how we are continuing to demonstrate this advantage."
A link to Prof. Janetschek's interview can be found on the Viking Systems' website, at www.vikingsystems.com.
About Viking Systems, Inc.
Viking Systems, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of 3D and 2D visualization solutions for complex minimally invasive surgery. It actively markets and sells the only stand alone, cost-effective 3D system for use in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Viking partners with medical device companies and healthcare facilities to provide surgeons with proprietary visualization systems enabling minimally invasive surgical procedures, which reduce patient trauma and recovery time. Viking, through its OEM products business, also designs and manufactures surgical vision systems and components for several leading medical instrument companies worldwide. For more information, please visit our website at www.vikingsystems.com.
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