WESTBOROUGH, Mass., March 9, 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, announces that its 3DHD system has been selected as the vision component of an alternative, cost-effective surgical robotic system demonstration that will be featured at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Annual Meeting which will be held in Vienna, March 18-22. Terumo Corporation's Kymerax Articulating Surgical instruments and the ergonomic ETHOS Surgical Platform will also be featured in the alternative, cost-effective surgical robotic system demonstration.
Jed Kennedy, President & CEO of Viking Systems, said, "We are honored to have been invited by the EAU to participate in this important and timely demonstration. Since part of our strategy is to explore opportunities to integrate our 3D systems with technologies that are being developed as alternatives to current surgical robotic systems in an effort to broaden the market for our 3DHD visualization system, this collaboration with Terumo Corporation and ETHOS Surgical at the EAU meeting not only furthers our strategy but also validates our belief that surgeons are seeking an alternative solution to the expensive surgical robotic systems on the market today."
Craig Turner, MD, CEO and Founder of ETHOS Surgical, said, "Collaborating with the most advanced technologies available today and combining them with traditional laparoscopic operative practices will enable surgeons to perform complex operations in comfort with 3D visualization, precision, dexterity, accuracy and ergonomic support. This is a new and exciting paradigm shift in the definition of robotic or biomechanical surgery."
This combination of three independent systems provides the surgeon with three of the primary advantages of current robotic surgery. These advantages are: (1) a three dimensional view of the laparoscopic surgical field, (2) the precision and dexterity of articulating instruments, and (3) the comfort of operating from a seated position in the midline.
Masao Hitotsuyanagi, General Manager of Terumo Europe N.V.'s TRAM Business Unit, added, "I believe the combination of Terumo's Kymerax Articulating Instruments, the Viking 3DHD system, and the ETHOS Platform will demonstrate the potential of a next-generation surgical robot system."
Viking launched its 3DHD Visualization System in October 2010 and began shipping product in December. Immediate focus was on building a distributor network, and a majority of the systems shipped to date have been demonstration systems for these distributors. These free-standing systems for 3D vision in the operating room are a core focus of the Company. At the same time, Viking has been exploring opportunities to supply 3D systems to companies developing surgical robotics and/or device companies interested in visualization for use with robotic systems and/or for use with advanced hand-held articulating surgical instruments. The Company has had discussions with several such companies and is evaluating opportunities to broaden the market for its 3DHD visualization system.
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 .
About Terumo Corporation
Terumo Corporation is a global health care company that manufactures and markets medical products and equipment, including pharmaceuticals, nutritional food supplement, blood bags, disposable medical devices, cardiovascular systems, vascular grafts, peritoneal dialysis, blood glucose monitoring system, medical electronic, and digital thermometers. The company, with approximately $4 billion in annual sales, is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with a primary listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
About Ethos Surgical
Ethos Surgical is a private company located in Beaverton, OR that was founded to bridge the growing technology gap between the surgeon's basic skill set and the newer surgical systems on the market. The first step in this process was to develop the ETHOS Ergonomic Surgical Platform™. This innovative surgeon positioning system allows the surgeon to operate directly over the patient while working in the pelvis greatly improving operative ergonomics and surgical anatomic orientation.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are estimates reflecting the best judgment of our management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors as described in our annual report on Form 10-K under the heading "Risk Factors" as updated from time to time by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements concerning forecasts, revenue growth, profitability, production and shipment of units, future financial results, and statements using words such as "estimate", "project", "plan", "intend", "expect", "anticipate", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
CONTACT: Viking Systems, Inc. Robert Mathews, EVP & CFO 508-366-3668 Ext. 8392 Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc. Linda Decker, VP - Investor Relations 212-564-4700