Robert,
You have some very interesting thoughts...thank you for sharing them with the thread.
I have done some digging on Storz to see how they compare to Xillix's product pipeline. Xillix is aware of Storz.
Storz is a endoscope company, primarily in rigid scopes, not flexible scopes, and these are mainly used for surgical applications and not as applicable for detection and localization. They do have a product that they have just developed that does "fluorescence imaging", but it is not the same as Xillix's fluorescence imaging, with many significant differences.
According to Xillix IR, Storz is only targetting European sales at this time. They are unable to sell in the US. Xillix has worldwide approval and distribution through Olympus. Storz system appears to be a white light system with a blue filter put over the light source to achieve fluorescence. Xillix has spent years developing a highly sophisticated camera, which intensifies the information gained through fluorescence. The Storz system of filtering through a blue lens doesn't provide for intensification. The intensification (like the night vision technology of intensifying small minute details - however, the Xillix camera intensifies the image about 30,000 times) is very important for gaining info. Storz is affiliated with a German clinic - and this clinic has been reporting early research into the area of fluorescence imaging with the Storz equipment for approximately the past 10 months. They are just in the early phases of setting up a testing program which will involve a few European clinics.
The Storz system has to be used with Storz endoscopes. Storz has about 3% of the worldwide endoscopic market. Compare that with the the market share of Olympus at around 70% (and the Xillix LIFE-Lung system has to be used with Olympus endoscopes).
I have always had some concern about rival technologies when I first took a position in Xillix back in '96. I don't think Storz is in the same league with their technology, and Xillix appears by far to be the most advanced company in fluorescence imaging.
I hope this brought some insight...any comments would be great!
Best regards,
Garry |
