PLC Medical Systems and Chindex Enter Distribution Agreement

PLC Systems Inc. announced that its international subsidiary PLC Medical Systems, A.G. has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with U.S. - China Industrial Exchange (Chindex) for the distribution of The Heart Laser System in China. Under the agreement, the first shipments of The Heart Laser System for TMR are expected to begin in the second half of 1998.

PLC Systems currently has four Heart Laser Systems in China and Hong Kong. Cardiovascular disease is expected to have an increasing and massive impact on China in terms of economic costs and burden of illness. TMR using The Heart Laser System offers a low cost and minimally invasive approach to treating coronary artery disease (CAD) particularly in Asian patients where the nature of CAD is quite often multiple and diffuse, and difficult to treat by conventional methods.

TMR, or transmyocardial revascularization, uses The Heart Laser(TM) System, a high-powered, computer controlled carbon dioxide (CO2) laser to place channels into oxygen deprived heart muscle of coronary artery disease patients. Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, some researchers believe these channels provide blood directly from the left ventricle to the deprived areas of the heart muscle, while others believe that angiogenesis (the formation and differentiation of blood vessels) also occurs. Recovery is generally quicker than that following bypass surgery. No blood transfusion is needed, and since the procedure is performed on a beating heart, there is no need for a heart-lung machine. The characteristics of The Heart Laser System surgery offer the potential of cost savings for the hospital and increased quality of life for the patient.