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Schwind eye tech solutions

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SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions GmbH
SCHWIND
Company typeGmbH
IndustryMedical technology
Founded1958
HeadquartersKleinostheim, Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Rolf Schwind (CEO)
ProductsOphthalmic devices
Revenue€ 25.5 million (2009/10)[1]
Number of employees
>100
Parent
  • Independent (1958–2022)
  • Adagia Partners (2022–present)
Websitewww.eye-tech-solutions.com

SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions GmbH develops, produces and markets devices for the treatment of ametropiae and corneal diseases consisting of laser systems, diagnostic systems, software for individual treatment planning and a microkeratome.

The owner-operated enterprise, based in Kleinostheim near Aschaffenburg, Germany, employs more than 100 people and distributes its products in more than 120 countries worldwide. Customers include ophthalmic surgeons, eye clinics, laser centers, and university hospitals.

Three months after announcing its intention to acquire the company, Adagia Partners completed the purchase of Schwind eye-tech-solutions in February 2022 for an undisclosed amount.[2][3]

History

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Named after its founder, the enterprise was registered in 1958 as Herbert Schwind GmbH & Co. KG[4] in the Aschaffenburg trade register. The company initially positioned itself as a full service provider and diagnostic supplier for ophthalmologists.[4]

Founded in 1964, the subsidiary Titmus Eurocon was created, to specialize in the development of contact lenses. In 1972, with the introduction of the first soft contact lenses, Titmus Eurocon brought a world novelty to the market.[5][6] Titmus Eurocon was sold in 1982 to the Swiss group Ciba Geigy (Novartis).[7][8][9]

In the early the 1990s, Scwind expanded its focus by adding a second area of expertise to its portfolio: the development, production, and distribution of eye lasers for vision correction,[4] including refractive and therapeutic corneal surgery.[10][11][12][13][14] In 1992 the first treatment of myopia with a shrink laser took place in South Korea. Seven years following this event, in 1999, the company management withdrew Schwind from the business field in service provision for ophthalmologists to specialise solely in the field of eye laser correction. At the same time, they changed their name to Schwind eye-tech-solutions.[4]

In 2007 the company introduced a new excimer laser generation, the Schwind Amaris, which is the first and only laser system worldwide to combine all available modern refractive technologies in one system.[15][16] Since then, the Schwind Amaris product family has been enhanced continuously. Today, Schwind Amaris laser systems compete successfully in a market otherwise dominated by multinational, market-listed corporations. The latest Amaris evolution features, with 1050 Hertz, the second after Optosystems Microscan (1100 Hertz) the highest available pulse repetition rate on the market of excimer lasers today.

In 2013, Schwind concluded an agreement to license the Schwind Amaris platform to the Alphaeon Corporation for marketing and FDA approval in the United States.[citation needed]

In 2016 international private investment firm, Ardian, purchased a 70% stake in the company.[17]

In 2021, Global law firm, White and Case LLP advised international private investment firm Ardian on the sale of Schwind to private equity company Adagia Partners. The details of the transaction were not disclosed by the parties.[18][19] In December 2021, Adagia Partners completed the deal, purchasing 70% majority shares while Rolf Schwind retained a 30% minority stake and agreement to continue in the role of CEO.[20][21]

Products

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Lasers

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Schwind Esiris excimer laser[4]

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Schwind Amaris excimer laser[4][22]

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The Schwind Amaris laser operates at 500 pulses per second and is the first laser to use two energy levels for corneal tissue removal. Approximately 80% of the tissue is removed with high energy to speed up treatment, while the remaining tissue is removed with low energy for increased precision. This method allows for the correction of a diopter in under 2.5 seconds, reducing treatment time, particularly for patients with high levels of vision defects.

The laser is equipped with an eye tracking system that monitors eye movements 1050 times per second, adjusting the laser to ensure accuracy. At the time, it was the first laser to use a five-dimensional eye tracker, compensating for both linear and rotational eye movements during the procedure. Clinical studies indicate that patients treated with this laser achieve higher visual performance[23][24] than with glasses or contact lenses, with some achieving 125% visual acuity. The Bellevue Eye Clinic in Kiel was one of the first clinics in Germany to use the laser in routine care.[25]

Schwind Atos femtosecond laser[4][26]

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Other

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  • Passive eye tracker[4]

Treatments

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  • Intrasomal Lasik and Smartsight lenticle extraction treatment[4][27]
  • Presby Max treatment[4]
  • The development of the corneal wavefront method to detect irregularities of the cornea[4]

Trans PRK/SmartsurfACE

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Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) was first introduced in 1988 as one of the earliest laser refractive surgical methods.[28][22] SmartSurfACE PRK is a proprietary procedure launched in 2009, which built on this foundation to create a touchless procedure to correct vision at the surface of the cornea without suction of the eye, flap, or incision.[29][30] The non-invasive eye surgery technique involves the removal of the thin outer corneal layer (epithelium) through surface ablation, allowing for precise vision correction without making incisions or creating a corneal flap. By avoiding incisions or cuts into the cornea, the method reduces post-operative complications and improves corneal stability. Third party and peer-reviewed publications have since reported and proven the TransPRK efficacy.[29][31][4] Patients have reported improved vision immediately after surgery, more than experienced with the use of glasses prior to surgery.[32]

SmartPulse

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Introduced in 2015,[29] SmartPulse technology creates a precise 3D model of the cornea using a refined spot overlap algorithm.[32] This pulse technology, developed in conjunction with Dr. David T.C. Lin in Vancouver, Canada,[33] facilitates an even laser pulse distribution that positions 0.2 μm laser pulses more closely than earlier technologies.[29] This approach provides a smooth stromal surface post-ablation. Schwind use SmartPulse technology in combination with the PRK/SmartSurfACE method to accelaerate re-epitherlialisation leading to quicker visual recovery.[28][32]

Awards

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For its innovations, Schwind was awarded various national and international prizes since 2008, for example the German "Industriepreis 2008" in the medical technology category,[34][35] the "Gusi Peace Prize 2008",[36][37][38] the "Medical Design Excellence Award 2008"[39] in Gold as well as the German "TOP 100 most innovative companies 2008"[40][41] and "Germany Land of Ideas - Selected Landmark 2009"[42] awards.

References

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  1. ^ "Jahresabschluss zum 30. Juni 2010". Elektronischer Bundesanzeiger (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. ^ "SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions". Adagia Partnners. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  3. ^ "Adagia Partners acquires Schwind Eye-Tech-Solutions, a leading provider of eye laser systems from Ardian". Adagia Partners. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Breunig, Kristin (2022-06-13). "Seit 30 Jahren für besseres Sehen". DeviceMed (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  5. ^ "Nicht knüllen" (in German). Der Spiegel. 3 May 1971. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  6. ^ "Wasserreiche weiche Linsen" (in German). Der Spiegel. 16 June 1980. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Trademark database". tmdb.de (in German). 28 November 1975. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  8. ^ "CIBA VISION - Von den Anfängen bis heute" (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  9. ^ Zeller, Christian (2001). Globalisierungsstrategien - der Weg von Novartis (in German). Springer Verlag. ISBN 3-540-41629-3. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Device for corneal surgery". FreePatentsOnline.com. 14 June 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  11. ^ "Device for the removal of tissue from the cornea of an eye". FreePatentsOnline.com. 11 September 2001. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  12. ^ "Process and arrangement for examining a section of the eye". FreePatentsOnline.com. 1 August 2000. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Vorrichtung zur Hornhautchirurgie". PatentDe (in German). 22 April 1999. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  14. ^ "Das Unternehmergespräch: Rolf Schwind, Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der Schwind Eye-Tech-Solutions". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 17 March 2008. p. 16.
  15. ^ "All inclusive - Schwinds neuer TotalTech-Laser Amaris". Ophthalmologische Nachrichten (in German). October 2007. p. 25.
  16. ^ "Konkurrenz für Brillen und Linsen". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 16 November 2007. p. 66.
  17. ^ Schütze, Arno (2021-11-04). "Augenlaserhersteller Schwind steht zum Verkauf" [Eye laser manufacturer Schwind is for sale]. www.handelsblatt.com. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  18. ^ "White & Case advises Ardian on sale of SCHWIND to Adagia Partners | White & Case LLP". www.whitecase.com. 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  19. ^ "Kleinostheimer Laserhersteller Schwind zu verkaufen". www.main-echo.de (in German). 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  20. ^ Schütze, Arno (2021-12-21). "Finanzinvestor übernimmt Mehrheit am Augenlaserhersteller Schwind" [Financial investor acquires majority in eye laser manufacturer Schwind]. www.handelsblatt.com. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  21. ^ "Augenlaserhersteller Schwind in Kleinostheim hat neuen Eigentümer" [Eye laser manufacturer Schwind in Kleinostheim has new owner]. www.main-echo.de (in German). 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  22. ^ a b "SCHWIND Laser knacken die Zweitausender-Marke". www.pressebox.de (in German). 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  23. ^ Arbelaez, Maria Clara; Mosquera, Samuel Arba (January 2009). "The SCHWIND AMARIS Total-Tech Laser as An All-Rounder in Refractive Surgery: Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology". Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology. 16 (1): 46–53. doi:10.4103/0974-9233.48868. PMC 2813579. PMID 20142960.
  24. ^ Arbelaez MC; Aslanides IM; Barraquer C; Carones F; Feuermannova A; Neuhann T; Rozsival P (February 2010). "LASIK for myopia and astigmatism using the SCHWIND AMARIS excimer laser: an international multicenter trial". Journal of Refractive Surgery. 26 (2): 88–98. doi:10.3928/1081597X-20100121-04. ISSN 1081-597X. PMID 20163073.
  25. ^ "Modernster Augenlaser der Welt". www.pressebox.de (in German). 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  26. ^ Engelke, Julia (2020-07-14). "CE-Zulassung für Femtosekundenlaser" [CE approval for femtosecond lasers]. DeviceMed (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  27. ^ Gabric, Ivan; Bohac, Maja; Gabric, Kresimir; Arba Mosquera, Samuel (2023-06-05). "First European results of a new refractive lenticular extraction procedure—SmartSight by SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions". Eye. 37 (18): 3768–3775. doi:10.1038/s41433-023-02601-0. ISSN 1476-5454. PMC 10698070. PMID 37277614.
  28. ^ a b "TransPRK – SmartSurface Touchfree Laser". The ELZA Institute. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  29. ^ a b c d "Schwind reaches milestone of 825,000 TransPRK or SmartSurfACE procedures. ". Ophthalmology Times Europe. 14 (9). Intellisphere, LLC: 42. November 2018 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
  30. ^ "SmartSurfACE - Muscat Eye Laser Center". 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  31. ^ Gab-Alla, AA (2021-09-01). "SmartSurfACE transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy with mitomycin C enhancement after small incision lenticule extraction". Eye and Vision. 8 (1). Faculty of Medicine, Ophthalmology Department, Suez Canal University. London: BioMed Central: 28. doi:10.1186/s40662-021-00254-2. PMC 8895781. PMID 34963489.
  32. ^ a b c "Advanced SmartSurface PRK Laser Eye Surgery | Binetter Eye Center". binettereyecentre.com.au/. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  33. ^ "Pacific Laser Eye Centre". www.pacific-laser.com. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  34. ^ "Kategoriesieger Industriepreis 2008". Huber Verlag für Neue Medien GmbH (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  35. ^ "winner's certificate" (PDF). Huber Verlag für Neue Medien GmbH (in German). 21 April 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  36. ^ "Gusi peace prize international: past laureates". Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  37. ^ "Nachrichten aus der Gastroenterologie".
  38. ^ "Innovation a key to Schwind's success". Eurotimes. March 2009. p. 36.
  39. ^ "Medical Design Excellence Award 2008". UBM Canon. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  40. ^ Busche, Maralen (14 July 2008). "Top 100: Innovativste Unternehmen". Focus netnews (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  41. ^ "Top 100: Medizintechnik und Marketing". Main-Netz Media GmbH (in German). 8 July 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  42. ^ "Germany - Land of ideas - trust your eyes". Land der Ideen Management GmbH (in German). 12 July 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
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