Read More - Microline Surgical

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Kara Della Vecchia
For Microline Surgical
Phone: 508-314-3127
kara@kdvcommunications.com
MICROLINE SURGICAL, INC. MARKS 25 YEARS
OF LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY ADVANCEMENTS
Founded in 1987 by two engineers working over a shoe shop, Microline is now a global
leader in reposable instruments for minimally invasive surgery
Beverly, Mass. – August 15, 2012 – For 25 years, Microline Surgical has advanced
the field of minimally invasive surgery by delivering precision surgical instruments that
enable surgeons across the globe to perform highly complex procedures with fewer
complications and better patient outcomes and at a lower cost compared with open
surgical techniques. Today, Microline marks its 25 th anniversary with nearly $50 million
in revenue, sales offices in Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and customers in
65 countries.
Microline Surgical designs, develops, manufactures, and markets advanced
laparoscopic instruments used across a broad range of surgical disciplines, including
General, Gynecologic, Bariatric, Head and Neck, Urologic , and Cardiac surgery
procedures. The company holds approximately 70 patents, employs over 200
collaborators and occupies a 50,000 square foot facility at its worldwide headquarters
located in Beverly, Mass. Microline’s products are distributed worldwide through a
network of over 70 independent distributors in North and South America, Europe, the
Middle East and Asia. Over the past 17 years, Microline has achieved an impressive 25
percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenues, which Microline Chairman
and CEO Dr. Jean-Luc Boulnois attributes to its entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to
advancing surgical care.
“Our employees are united in a common goal to advance excellence in laparoscopic
surgery and optimize patient care,” said Boulnois. “We keep a close finger on the pulse
of the healthcare marketplace, listening carefully to our customers in order to keep pace
with how surgical techniques are evolving so that we can deliver timely and relevant
technology to meet their changing needs. As a result, our company is growing and
profitable, even in this challenging economy. We are constantly looking for new growth
opportunities to expand our offerings and broadened our reach into the surgical
marketplace.”
Microline was founded in 1987 by two French-American engineers, Hugues
DeLaforcade and Henri DeGuillebon, with the goal of developing and marketing a line of
intra-ocular microsurgical instruments for vitreo-retinal surgery. Backed by $216,000

that they managed to raise from five friends and working above a shoe shop in Danvers,
Mass., DeLaforcade and DeGuillebon developed and patented the world’s first
reposable surgical instrument, a micro-scissor featuring a reusable handle and
disposable tips for use in cataract surgery.
In the early 1990s, Microline applied its reposable technology to the emerging field of
laparoscopic surgery. In 1994, the company launched its ReNew line of laparoscopic
scissors featuring reusable handles and disposable cutting tips, enabling surgeons to
achieve exceptional patient outcomes at a considerable cost advantage. The
receptiveness of the healthcare marketplace to this new platform led to Microline
focusing its resources on minimally invasive surgery in the years ahead.
Microline Surgical has achieved a number of significant milestones over the past 25
years, fueling its success. These include:
1993: Microline enters the field of laparoscopic surgery with the world’s first
reposable scissors
2004: Microline is acquired by Pentax, changing its name to Microline-Pentax
2007: Pentax is acquired by HOYA Corporation of Tokyo, making Microline a
wholly owned subsidiary of HOYA
2009: Microline acquires Starion Instruments, marking the company’s foray into
Cardiology and Otolaryngology (ENT), and changes its name to Microline
Surgical
2011: Microline launches its MiFusion product line, including MiSeal, the
world’s first reposable device that simultaneously seals and divides soft tissue
and vessels using direct thermal energy
2012: Microline generates nearly $50 million in revenue, delivering advanced
laparoscopic instruments to customers in 65 countries, while performing the vast
majority of its manufacturing in the United States
“We continue to be focused on building upon our existing infrastructure to support our
rapid growth,” said Microline President and COO Sharad Joshi. “From a technology
perspective, we are examining new endo-mechanical and energy products which will
allow surgeons to expand minimally invasive surgery into complex procedures at a
lower cost. It is an exciting time in the healthcare industry and we look forward to what
the next 25 years has to hold for both Microline and the customers that it serves.”
About Microline Surgical
Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Microline Surgical, Inc. is a leading U.S.
medical device manufacturer of high-quality reposable surgical laparoscopic
instruments. Founded in 1987, Microline is a wholly owned subsidiary of HOYA
Corporation (7741:TSE) in Tokyo, Japan, a $4.5 billion company with approximately half
of its revenues from medical business including endoscopy and eye care. Microline’s
integrated modular laparoscopic instrumentation system consists of a selection of
reusable handpieces that utilize a broad assortment of disposable tips. This concept
allows for surgical efficiency and cost effectiveness to be preserved at all times. The
company’s patented product portfolio comprises cutting, dissecting, grasping,
cauterizing and ligating instruments used in all laparoscopic surgical procedures. For
more information, visit www.microlinesurgical.com