Zeiss Transfers Image-Guided Surgery Business

Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen, Germany) has agreed to transfer its image-guided surgery business and resources to Surgical Navigation Specialists, Inc. (SNS, Toronto, Canada). In return, Carl Zeiss will exchange its 20% equity position in SNS for shares in Cedara, the parent of SNS. Carl Zeiss will remain in the SNS as an applications member company, continuing to provide advanced microscopy technology to SNS image-guided surgery solutions. The company says the transfer will enable it to intensify its focus on visualization technologies and solutions for microsurgery and minimally-invasive procedures.


The transaction reflects the evolving partnership between the two companies. SNS has been providing image-guided surgery software and integration services to Carl Zeiss since 1998. Carl Zeiss marketed and sold the SNS systems to surgeons under its own label. Now, SNS will assume direct sales and support responsibilities for image-guided surgery. Zeiss will transfer to SNS the relevant sales, marketing, and applications staff to ensure
continuity in customer relationships, and the sales and marketing groups of the two companies will continue to work closely together.

Carl Zeiss is pleased and confident that this transition is in the best interests of the surgeons it serves; they will now enjoy more direct access to SNS, Inc., the source of their image-guided surgery solution, said Dr. Michael Kaschke, medical president of Carl Zeiss.


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Surgical Navigation Specialists, Inc.