CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Dec. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, among other core businesses, announced today that it has been recognized with the Surgical Products’ 2018 Excellence in Surgical Products (ESP) Award, distinguishing ENDOEYE FLEX 3D and FlexDex® (3D/FlexDex) as the winner in the OR Equipment and Accessories category. This is the fifth time Olympus has been named an ESP award winner.
Olympus’ 3D imaging combined with FlexDex technology simplifies suturing in difficult-to-reach areas by precisely translating the surgeon’s hand, wrist and arm movements from outside the patient into corresponding movements of an end-effector inside the patient’s body. With a chip-on-tip and dual lens design, the ENDOEYE FLEX 3D video laparoscope restores natural 3D vision and depth perception during laparoscopic procedures and mimics what the human eye would see in open surgery. The 3D/FlexDex platform offers an alternative to high-cost robotics in minimal access surgery by providing the visualization and wristed instrumentation for suturing found in robotic technology, but at a fraction of the cost. Importantly, this technology can be used in any OR, at any time, on a laparoscopic platform already familiar to surgeons.
“Olympus is honored to receive this recognition from Surgical Products,” said Randy Clark, President of the Medical Systems Group at Olympus. “The Olympus 3D/FlexDex solution is an exciting addition to our portfolio. It provides both the patient and surgeon with more options compared to the alternative costs and limitations associated with robotic surgery. This allows us to stay true to our mission to drive increased quality of care, cost reductions and patient satisfaction.” 
ESP Award winners are determined by magazine readers, commonly surgeons who have had hands-on experience or first-hand demonstration of the innovations being nominated. Readers voted for the companies and products they felt were most deserving by selecting those that contributed most to surgical performance, efficiency and safety.
Other Olympus products previously recognized as ESP award winners include:
- 2017: PK AIM
- 2016: VISERA 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD)
- 2013: HD 3D Video Laparoscope
- 2012: THUNDERBEAT
The Olympus 3D/FlexDex solution is showcased in the November/December issue of Surgical Products magazine as well as in the magazine eDaily newsletter.
About Surgical Products Magazine
Surgical Products is a publication for surgeons, anesthesiologists and department heads in charge of operating/emergency rooms, ICU/CCUs, infection control, OR materials management and other areas. Surgical Products has been published for 35 years, has a circulation of 55,000 and is published 10 times a year.
About Olympus Medical Systems Group
Olympus is a global technology leader, crafting innovative optical and digital solutions in medical technologies; life sciences; industrial solutions; and cameras and audio products. Throughout our nearly 100-year history, Olympus has focused on being true to society and making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling.
Our Medical Business works with health care professionals to combine our innovative capabilities in medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing with their skills to deliver diagnostic, therapeutic and minimally invasive procedures to improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs and enhance quality of life for patients. For more information, visit medical.olympusamerica.com.
About FlexDex
FlexDex is an innovative medical device company that has developed a platform technology to provide surgeons with high performance and cost effective minimally invasive surgical instruments. The Company’s focus is to enable advanced minimally invasive procedures with greater precision and efficiency bringing the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to patients throughout the world. FlexDex was developed at the University of Michigan by co-founders Shorya Awtar, Sc.D., James Geiger, MD and Greg Bowles. This platform technology enables highly intuitive, one-to-one mapping of the surgeon’s arm and hand motions to the articulating instrument inside the patient’s body. The patented “Virtual Center™” of the FlexDex platform is a simple mechanical design that, we believe, will greatly enhance the capabilities of all Minimally Invasive Surgical (MIS) instruments. The FlexDex Needle Driver, the first instrument of the FlexDex platform, has been granted the CE mark and is available for sale in the United States and internationally. For more information visit https://flexdex.com
SOURCE Olympus Medical Systems Group