Olympus signs agreement with Brainlab to become exclusive U.S. distributor of Kick Navigation

Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, among other core businesses, announced today it has reached a deal with Munich-based Brainlab to be the exclusive U.S. distributor of Kick^® Navigation. This agreement applies to the US ENT market; Brainlab will maintain distribution for cross-disciplinary U.S. sales and all distribution outside the U.S. The system, offering both optical and electromagnetic guidance options, offers surgeons advanced image enrichment and visualization for complex ENT surgeries.

Surgical navigation — also called image-guided surgery, computer-assisted surgery, or software-guided surgery — is similar in concept to a GPS system used in today's electronic devices. It is designed to continuously track surgical instrumentation relative to the patient's anatomy and display the relationship in real time on a monitor during surgery. Navigational assistance becomes critical during complex ENT surgeries where instruments are used in close proximity to the optical nerve, the brain and other sensitive tissues.

ENT Navigation

Navigation software is used to perform intricate surgeries such as sinus and intranasal surgeries, maxillary antrostomies, ethmoidectomy surgery, spheno-idotomies/sphenoid explorations, transphenoidal surgery, tumor resection, turbinate reduction, frontal and lateral skull base as well as pursue interdisciplinary approaches with neurosurgery or CMF departments.

According to Truven Health Analytics Inc., there were more than 4,900,000 sinus procedures performed in the United States in 2012, and more than 75,000 of those surgeries were performed using navigation software.ⁱ  

"Selecting Olympus as the exclusive distributor in the U.S. ENT market for Kick^® Navigation was a natural choice," said Sean Clark, President, at Brainlab Inc. "Olympus has a significant presence and stellar reputation in the U.S. ENT marketplace. Integration has been developed between the Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE system and Kick^® Navigation. The combination of the two systems enables surgeons to perform some of the most complex and advanced ENT surgeries available today."

Brainlab Kick^® Navigation Technology

Brainlab Kick^® features intuitive user interfaces, optimized workflows, advanced imaging and tailored software integration, which helps clinicians leverage available information. Brainlab ENT platforms are available with both optical (Kick^®) and electromagnetic (Kick^® EM) surgical instrument tracking technology. Both versions deliver advanced 3D displays, user-friendly touch-based and touchless patient registration options and real-time virtual anatomy updates.

The Brainlab software offers universal tool integration and an open platform for surgeons to use the implant and tool manufacturers of their choice, but integrates seamlessly with the Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE Multidebrider^®.

Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE Multidebrider^®

The Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE Multidebrider^® is the world's only ENT system to offer both monopolar and bipolar energy blades as an option to control bleeding — as well as traditional standard shaver blades — providing specialists with a full array of surgery options using just one device.

"The Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE Multidebrider^® is ideal for all types of sinus and endoscopic skull base surgery. Its versatility reduces the need for instrument exchanges and allows me to get to the source of bleeding instantly," said Alexander Chiu, MD, Professor and Chair, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Arizona and member of the DIEGO^® ELITE evaluation team. "Now the ability to add Brainlab navigation to this system will enable surgeons to perform complex ENT surgeries while increasing procedural efficiency."

"Brainlab Kick^® systems are an important addition to our portfolio of ENT surgical products," said Richard Reynolds, Executive Vice President - Sales, Marketing & Shared Services of the Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. "Innovations like the Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE Multidebrider^® along with Kick^® Navigation allow us to further our commitment to enabling high-quality health care required under Affordable Care."

The Brainlab Kick^® ENT systems along with the Olympus DIEGO^® ELITE Multidebrider^® are being showcased at the American Association of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Society (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO Expo, September 21-24, 2014, in Orlando, Fla.