KARL STORZ video laryngoscope awarded the German Innovation Award 2017

Tuttlingen, 04/03/2017: KARL STORZ won the prestigious German Innovation Award 2017 in the category "Large enterprises" for its C-MAC^® Pocket Monitor video laryngoscope, which has been on the market since October 2016. Sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, this innovation competition has been presented by Accenture, EnBW, Evonik, and WirtschaftsWoche since 2010 to honor outstanding, future-oriented innovations by German companies. The award is granted in the categories Large Enterprises, SMEs, and Start-Ups for products and business models that change the business and markets with their innovative strength. Attended by 350 guests from industry, research, politics, and society, this year's award ceremony took place in Munich on 31 March 2017.

From among numerous attractive applications, the expert jury of the German Innovation Award selected a total of 15 ideas for the final round. In this year's competition, KARL STORZ was represented in the Large Enterprise category with not one, but two innovations. In addition to the C-MAC^® Pocket Monitor video laryngoscope system, the VITOM^® 3D – a digital 3D visualization system for microsurgery and open surgery – was nominated.

The award was presented for the C-MAC^® Pocket Monitor video laryngoscope, a flexible system for rapid and safe intubation in emergency medicine and in-hospital use. The jury was impressed by the system’s flexibility since a wide variety of video laryngoscope sizes and shapes allows intubating premature babies, children, and adults, and the system also permits treating the difficult airway in extreme situations (traffic accidents and polytrauma). A unique feature is the system’s flexible monitor that allows physicians to secure the airway under view and additionally capture pictures and videos in real time. This increases patient safety and particularly improves the general and specialist training of young physicians.

The jury highlighted this advantage in its statement: "The system developed by KARL STORZ particularly stands out due to its documentation options and the fact that physicians always see exactly what they are doing", says Dr. Ulrich Künsthardt, Chief Innovation Officer, Evonik Industries AG.

"We are delighted to receive the German Innovation Award 2017. During product development from an initial idea to a market-ready product, we closely collaborate with partners in clinical practice as well as with staff members in Development, Product Management, Production, Marketing, and Sales. The success of such a quality product is a team effort and can only be achieved through the dedication of all staff members. Therefore, this award strongly motivates us to invest the best ideas, highest quality, and precision into our products every day," said Dr. h. c. mult. Sybill Storz.