-Gamagori JAPAN, November 21, 2000-

NIDEK, a major manufacturer of ophthalmic and optical equipment, announced today it was issued a patent by the United States Patent & Trademark Office for the refractive correction of astigmatisms via bitoric ablation. Specifically, NIDEK's patent covers refractive correction of monogenic myopic astigmatism and compound astigmatism (bi-toric astigmatic correction). Dr. Arturo Chayet of Tijuana, Mexico was named as the inventor of this new method which he developed using NIDEK's excimer laser technology.

"I selected a NIDEK laser to perform the first bitoric ablation because of the company's high quality equipment and experience in the ophthalmic field," says Dr. Chayet.

Dr. Chayet's method enables varied tissue ablation, which will address astigmatic corrections in addition to either hyperopia (farsightedness) or myopia (nearsightedness). This method reduces the amount of corneal tissue removed, facilitating more precise laser vision correction of astigmatic corneas and resulting in better patient vision outcomes.

"With an estimated 71 million Americans affected by astigmatism, this new method will help people achieve better vision without restrictive eyewear," said Hiroshi Okada, general manager and vice president of NIDEK Inc. "Dr. Chayet is a premier refractive surgeon and we are honored he selected NIDEK as the equipment of choice."

For more information, please contact Hiroshi Okada, General Manager, Regulatory, QA & Legal Affairs of NIDEK Inc., Fremont CA, at (510) 226-5700 or by fax at (510) 226-5750.