This year marks the 30th anniversary of SCHWIND. Today, we stand as a pioneer in refractive corneal surgery, driving solutions for vision correction procedures and building strong relationships with our customers with one common goal in mind: to improve the lives of those with refractive errors.
THE SCHWIND FAMILY PHILOSOPHY
SCHWIND is a medium-sized company that is deeply rooted in the personal connections we have with our customers. In this sense, our customers see us as more than a manufacturer—they see us as a partner. We have worked together over the years to continually develop and improve our excimer (SCHWIND AMARIS) and femtosecond (SCHWIND ATOS) laser platforms as well as our procedure offerings. These include, among others, touch-free SmartSurfACE (TransPRK) surface ablation treatments, SmartLASIK (intrastromal femtosecond LASIK), PresbyMax for presbyopia correction, and minimally invasive SmartSight lenticule extraction.
SCHWIND was founded in 1958 as a successful one-stop ophthalmology supplier. In 1992, the company launched into the refractive corneal surgery space with its first serial laser system, the SCHWIND KERATOM, and the first eye was treated for myopia correction in South Korea the same year. By 1999, the company transitioned exclusively to laser eye surgery. The early pioneering achievements of SCHWIND included, for example, the serial implementation of a standardized passive eye tracker, the serial use of online pachymetry as a significant safety factor, and the development of the corneal wavefront method to detect and correct even the smallest aberrations in the cornea.
In 2007, we developed the AMARIS, a 500-Hz excimer laser system. From that point on, we became the international technology leader in excimer laser systems for refractive corneal surgery. Later, we launched the 750-Hz AMARIS laser, followed by the 1,050-Hz AMARIS laser, which is the flagship of our successful excimer laser portfolio today.
Another key differentiator is that SCHWIND’s diagnostic devices† seamlessly integrate into our laser environment and allow the transfer of objective treatment data to both the AMARIS and the ATOS. These include the SCHWIND MS-39, SCHWIND SIRIUS+, and SCHWIND PERAMIS.
CURRENT STATUS
Today, our company continues to be a technology leader in laser systems for refractive and therapeutic corneal surgery. We have developed, produced, and marketed a high-quality product portfolio that includes the SCHWIND AMARIS and ATOS. To date, more than 2,250 SCHWIND laser systems have been installed worldwide; two-thirds of these are the AMARIS.
Our focus remains completely on our customers. We see our customers as part of the SCHWIND family. We also feel a great obligation to help their patients gain excellent visual results and significant lifestyle improvements.
CONCLUSION
At SCHWIND, we pride ourselves on being innovative and agile. Our medium size, 30-year tenure in corneal refractive surgery, and steadfast relationships with customers allow us to respond to market needs fast, nimbly integrating developments that can make a big difference for surgeons and their patients.
We are proud that we are one of the only companies that can offer our customers quality-built laser platforms for the complete range of laser vision correction procedures. We aim to continue integrating improvements, additional applications, and a larger product portfolio to support surgeons and enhance the user and patient experience, and we will continue to be flexible and responsive to individual customer needs.
Roughly 5% of patients with refractive errors undergo laser vision correction.1 Even if we can realize our vision that most patients will see laser vision correction as a valuable alternative to glasses and contact lenses, I think as a company and as an industry we are succeeding. We are continuously working on innovative ideas that can help us to reach this goal and our patients to lead happier lives with better vision and quality of life.
1. Market Scope. 2021 Refractive Surgery Market Report: Global Analysis for 2020 to 2026. December 2021. Accessed August 31, 2022. https://www.market-scope.com/pages/reports/294/2021-refractive-surgery-market-report-global-analysis-for-2020-to-2026-december-2021
†Manufactured by CSO SRL
