OD-OS Appoints Experienced Entrepreneur and Ophthalmologist Ron Kurtz to Advisory Board

Posted on October 19, 2009

(Berlin, Germany. October 2009.) OD-OS, which recently introduced NAVILAS®, the first navigated retina laser system, announced today the appointment of Dr. Ron Kurtz, MD as a new Member of its Advisory Board.

Dr. Kurtz is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Retina Specialist at the University of California, Irvine. He was also a Co-founder, initial CEO and Chief Medical Officer of IntraLase Corp. which introduced the high precision femtosecond laser for use in bladeless LASIK. This technique became a standard in corneal refractive surgery, leading to a successful initial public offering for IntraLase in 2004 and a subsequent acquisition by Abbott Medical Optics in 2007. Dr. Kurtz is currently President & CEO of LensSx Lasers, a venture backed start-up commercializing an intraocular femtosecond laser for use in cataract surgery.

With his appointment to the OD-OS Advisory Board, Dr. Kurtz brings a wealth of experience to help guide the continued development and adoption of the NAVILAS® retinal laser system. According to Dr Kurtz, “The OD-OS navigated laser system represents a new paradigm in retinal therapy, combining imaging and treatment modalities to enable levels of precision and safety that are not possible with current technologies. The NAVILAS® also offers the potential for new treatment methods that can further expand the use of lasers in retinal disease.”

OD-OS is a subsidiary of SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI), the technology leader in eye tracking and registration solutions for the refractive laser surgery industry for over 15 years. “It makes sense that the group that successfully delivered eye tracking and registration to laser refractive surgery would also apply these technologies to improve retinal laser therapy,” Dr. Ron Kurtz explains, “With NAVILAS®, surgeons are able to plan and perform retinal laser treatments in an integrated fashion, without having to refer to an external diagnostic image that makes registration of surgical targets and anatomical landmarks cumbersome and inaccurate. In addition, the system provides automatic documentation of laser treatments for administrative use and clinical review. NAVILAS® will elevate the level of care we all can provide.”

“We are very pleased to have Ron on our Advisory Board,” says OD-OS Founder & CEO Winfried Teiwes. “His unique combination of clinical and new technology experience will be very helpful as we introduce NAVILAS® to the retinal community as an optimal clinical and business solution.
NAVILAS® has received CE marking and is currently being reviewed for FDA clearance required for sale in the U.S.

About OD-OS
OD-OS is an ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified medical device company headquartered in Teltow/Berlin, Germany. Its U.S. operation, responsible for marketing, sales and support, is located Grapevine/Dallas, Texas.
For more information visit www.od-os.com or call us in the US at +1 (877) 628-6367 or Europe at +49 (3328) 31 282-100.