Heinz Kurz GmbH Medizintechnik Receives Award from State of Baden-Wuerttemberg for Innovative Middle Ear Implant
27.11.2009
From left to right: District President Stuttgart Johannes Schmalzl, Minister of Economics BW Ernst Pfister, Heinz Kurz Company Founder, Traute Kurz-Butzki CEO, Uwe Steinhardt CTO, City Manager Dusslingen Thomas Hölsch
On November 27, 2009 Heinz Kurz GmbH Medizintechnik received the Dr. Rudolf Eberle Innovation Award 2009 for the TTP VARIAC® Middle Ear Prosthesis System. The system was chosen from a total of 81 entries vying for this award for its exemplary innovation and the magnitude of the social benefit it will provide. In honor and recognition of this achievement, the award was presented to Heinz Kurz GmbH Medizintechnik by Ernst Pfister, the Baden-Wuerttemberg State Minister of Economics. It is accompanied by a monetary prize totaling EUR 7.500.
The Dr. Rudolf Eberle Innovation Award is granted annually to small and medium enterprises in Baden-Wuerttemberg for leadership in product, process or technological services innovation. With over 30% of German patents filed here, the region of Baden-Wuerttemberg has an innovation leadership position within Europe, and as a prime innovation award from this area, the Dr. Rudolf Eberle Innovation Award is widely recognized as one of the most significant such awards in the technological community. In 2009, the award marks its 25th anniversary.
The KURZ TTP VARIAC® System (VARiable and ACcurate) consists of a length-variable titanium middle ear prosthesis and a multifunctional plastic sizer disc. The main benefit of the system is the intra-operative customizing option during surgical procedures as each patient’s exact implant requirements only become apparent to the surgeon at that point. Besides the tremendous benefits to patient and surgeon, hospitals profit from drastically reduced inventory requirements and associated administrative costs.
In general, middle ear implants are indicated in case of damage to the ossicles preventing proper transmission of sound to the tympanic membrane. While there are multiple causes, there is always a loss in the quality of life in consequence of the adverse effects in the perception of sound up to and including deafness. Surgical intervention and the choice of the appropriate prosthesis almost always lead to significant hearing gains.
The KURZ TTP VARIAC® System was developed in conjunction with Prof. Hans Peter Zenner, M.D. and his team at the ENT clinic of the University of Tuebingen, Germany. Many years of cooperation with this institute have resulted in a number of other highly regarded middle ear implant systems currently being marketed worldwide.
Company Snapshot
Heinz Kurz GmbH Medizintechnik is a leading manufacturer of top-of-the-line middle ear implants featuring our signature metal designs that have gained worldwide renown by providing consistently superior performance. One of our early innovations occurred in 1995, when KURZ was the first manufacturer worldwide to introduce middle ear prostheses of pure titanium. Among other key characteristics, titanium is highly biocompatible and features excellent acoustic transmission properties. This innovation transformed the market and today titanium middle ear prostheses represent the industry standard.
KURZ markets its products in more than 50 countries worldwide and holds a market share of more than 70% in Germany in this segment.
Contact:
Heinz Kurz GmbH
Uwe Steinhardt
Phone: 07072 / 91 79-29
Tübinger Strasse 3
72144 Dußlingen
Germany
E-Mail: usteinhardt@kurzmed.de
