Northwest Lions Eye Bank provides Corneal Transplant Tissue using Innovative New IntraLase Laser Technology.

SEATTLE -- Roger F. Steinert, M.D., from The University of California, Irvine, performed the first laser-enabled corneal transplant using customized, shaped corneal tissue prepared by Eye Bank professionals. "Eye bank-prepared tissue using lasers will revolutionize corneal transplantation because it is more precise and customized for the patient," said Dr. Steinert. The procedure, performed on a young patient, is technically known as IntraLase Enabled Keratoplasty (IEK).

These procedures have gained significant interest among corneal surgeons due to their potential to speed recovery and improve post-transplant vision for patients compared to current standard transplant surgery.

For over 18 months the Northwest Lions Eye Bank (NLEB), a division of the Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight and Hearing (NLFSH), has collaborated with IntraLase Corp. in a unique research project, contributing to this breakthrough clinical methodology to prepare corneal tissue for human transplant. The eye bank's clinical team and doctors already familiar with IntraLase precision corneal technology for LASIK surgery have used the technology to precision cut corneas to deal with a variety of injuries and diseases. The tissue will be custom cut at the eye bank to surgeons' exact specifications.

"We are excited for the quality of vision this new innovation will provide to transplant recipients," said NLEB and NLFSH President and CEO Monty Montoya.

Over 45,000 corneal transplants are performed annually in the United States. Most are still performed by cutting the full thickness of the cornea with 20th Century surgical instruments. This surgical technique, while effective, can be vastly improved using modern laser technology. Until recently, no such technology existed that was precise enough to perform these procedures. The IntraLase[R] FS laser changes this. Femtosecond Pulse Lasers were originally developed to dismantle nuclear weapons. These pulse lasers cut an object the size of a hair and at a speed of a quadrillionth of a second, with no collateral tissue damage. They are entirely computer controlled.

About the Northwest Lions Eye Bank:

The Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight & Hearing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization, which operates the Northwest Lions Eye Bank. As one of the leading Eye Banks in the world it has placed over 35,000 corneas with surgeons across the globe. In addition to operating the Northwest Lions Eye Bank, the foundation administers these sight and hearing programs: Northwest Lions Hearing Aid Bank, the Lions Patient Care Program, AUDIENT Alliance for Hearing Care, the Lions Health Screening Unit and Lions Project Support Grants.

About IntraLase Corp.:

IntraLase designs, develops, and manufactures an ultra-fast laser that is revolutionizing refractive and corneal surgery by creating safe and more precise corneal incisions. Delivering on the promise of ophthalmic laser technology, the IntraLase FS laser, related software, and disposable devices replace the hand-held microkeratome blade used during LASIK surgery. The unsurpassed accuracy of IntraLase's computer-controlled femtosecond laser has been shown to improve safety profiles and visual outcomes when used during LASIK. Additionally, the IntraLase[R] FS laser creates precision-designed intracorneal incisions that, when combined, can be used during lamellar and penetrating keratoplasty, and intrastromal ring implantation. IntraLase is presently in the process of commercializing applications of its technology in the treatment of corneal diseases that require corneal transplant surgery. The company's proprietary laser and disposable patient interfaces are presently marketed throughout the United States and 33 other countries. IntraLase is headquartered and manufactures its products in Irvine, California. For additional information, visit the company's web site: www.intralase.com.