Olympus Highlights Expanded Urology Portfolio at AUA

Company showcases iTind reshaping BPH treatment and SOLTIVE stone management system during American Urological Association annual meeting

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., (Sept. 7, 2021) – Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, will highlight its expanded urological portfolio during the American Urological Association’s (AUA) virtual annual meeting. Products featured during AUA will include iTind™, the minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of enlarged prostate, and the SOLTIVE™ SuperPulsed Laser System for breaking up kidney and ureteral stones. Both products will be demonstrated in physician-led skills workshops.

iTind is proven through clinical research to relieve symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH. Well-suited to in-office procedures, treatment with the iTind does not hinder future treatments because there is no permanent implant. According to the study results, patients experience immediate relief from lower urinary tract symptoms following treatment, and treatment with iTind does not affect sexual function in men with an enlarged prostate.i

Dr. Dean Elterman, MD, MSc, FRCSC, University of Toronto, will participate in a virtual skills workshop Sept. 12 for physicians interested in learning the iTind procedure. Dr. Elterman and Dr. Bilal Chughtai, associate professor of urology at Weill Cornell Medicine, in August published an article in the Canadian Journal of Urology highlighting their technique using a flexible cystoscope with iTind in a urology office.

“The treatment options for enlarged prostate continue to expand and provide alternatives that avoid certain side effects associated with medication and surgeries,” Dr. Elterman said. “Truly minimally invasive procedures, like iTind, offer an affordable and comfortable treatment option for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).”

Implantation of the iTind device may cause urinary urgency, pelvic discomfort, dysuria or hematuria. In rare cases, iTind may cause urinary tract infection or acute urinary retention.

Olympus announced earlier this year that it exercised its option to purchase Medi-Tate Ltd., the creator of iTind. Since November 2018, Olympus held the exclusive rights to globally distribute Medi-Tate products.

Also during AUA, Olympus will showcase its SOLTIVE SuperPulsed Laser System. Launched last year, the SOLTIVE System offers a new application of thulium fiber laser technology designed for stone lithotripsy and soft tissue applications. SOLTIVE dusts stones in half the time it takes other laser systems, creating a fine dust that is easily removed.ii The efficiency of the laser fibers in breaking apart the stones is due to absorption in water of the blue light laser wavelength of the thulium fiber. The compact footprint is an eighth of the size of other Holmium: YAG systems and runs more efficiently, requiring only a standard 110-volt power outlet.

Dr. Bodo Knudsen, Director of the Comprehensive Kidney Stone Program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, on Sept. 10 will demonstrate stone removal utilizing SOLTIVE during a virtual skills workshop.

“The SuperPulsed thulium laser quickly and efficiently dusts stones into very fine particles that often wash out during the procedure, resulting in improved patient outcomes,” said Dr. Knudsen. “With its quiet and compact design, it appears poised to overcome the limitations of the Holmium: YAG laser and succeed it as the gold standard in ureteroscopic stone surgery.”

As with non-laser surgery, the possibility of complications and adverse events, such as chills, fever, edema, hemorrhage, inflammation, tissue necrosis, or infection may occur following treatment. In extreme cases, death may occur due to procedural complications, concurrent illness, or laser application. As with any conventional surgery, acute pain may occur immediately following laser therapy and may persist for as long as 48 hours.

Additional papers will be published during this year’s AUA meeting on the use of the SOLTIVE Laser System for soft tissue, prostate vaporization and SOLTIVE Laser Enucleation of the Prostate. The annual AUA meeting will be held Sept. 10-13 with more information available at aua2021.org. For more information, visit us at https://medical.olympusamerica.com.

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About Olympus
As a leading medical technology company, Olympus delivers innovative medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing used in diagnostic, therapeutic, and minimally invasive procedures. For more information, visit https://medical.olympusamerica.com.


  1. Chughtai B, Elterman D, Shore N, et al. The iTind Temporarily Implanted Nitinol Device for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial [published online ahead of print, 2020 Dec 26]. Urology. 2020;S0090-4295(20)31520-X. DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2020.12.022

  2. Benchmark study. Comparison of dusting and fragmenting using the new Super Pulse Thulium Fiber Laser to a 120W Holmium:YAG laser. AUA 2019. Dr. Ben Chew