Press Release Summary = M. Gavriel Meron, founder and former President and CEO of Given Imaging joins the Board of Directors of Mauna Kea Technologies.
Press Release Body = Paris (France), Cambridge (MA, USA) - December 6th, 2006 - MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIES, a medical technology company specialized in the development of minimally invasive in vivo microscopy solutions, announced today that M. Gavriel Meron has been appointed to the Board of Directors.
" It's a great honor and a fantastic opportunity for us to welcome Gabi Meron to the Board. His experience, in particular with Given Imaging, and his acumen in the field of innovative medical devices are strong assets for the company ", said Sacha Loiseau, President and CEO of Mauna Kea Technologies.
M. Gavriel Meron founded the capsule endoscopy company Given Imaging, Ltd. (Nasdaq: GIVN) in 1998 and has served as chief executive officer and member of the company\'s board of directors until 2006 when he became Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Prior to this, M. Meron served as Chief Executive Officer of APPLItec Ltd., an Israeli designer and manufacturer of video cameras and systems primarily for the medical endoscopy market. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Meron was General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Optibase Ltd., From 1988 to 1993, he was Chief Financial Officer of InterPharm Laboratories Ltd., a Swiss ethical pharmaceutical company. Mr. Meron holds an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University and a B.A. in economics and statistics from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
" The Cellvizio® platform has been developed by a highly talented team and has already been proven to be a valuable tool in research in animal models. This strong and unique technology platform is now poised to address major medical markets. Our key challenge is now to create a platform of medical customers as the base for sustained sales growth and profitability ", said Gavriel Meron.
Mauna Kea Technologies has introduced two cutting edge fibered confocal fluorescence microscopy systems for clinical research on the market in 2006 : Cellvizio®-GI, a unique catheter-based confocal microscope for gastro-intestinal studies and Cellvizio®-LUNG, the first instrument ever capable of imaging the distal airways at the microscopic level. Both these instruments are based on the same Cellvizio® platform, already used extensively in research laboratories around the world.
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About MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIES
Founded in 2000, based in Paris, France and Cambridge, MA, MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIES is the inventor of the Cellvizio®, the world's most miniaturized in vivo microscopy platform. The Cellvizio® enables researchers and doctors to obtain dynamic microscopic images in real time in a minimally invasive fashion. Cellvizio®-GI and Cellvizio®-LUNG are the two first clinical versions of the Cellvizio® platform, and have received FDA approval and CE Mark for GI endoscopy and bronchoscopy applications.
www.maunakeatech.com
Web Site = http://www.maunakeatech.com
Contact Details = Contacts
MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIES Sacha Loiseau, President and CEO Phone : +33 (0)1 48 24 03 45 MILESTONES Bruno Arabian, Press Relations Phone : +33 (0)1 70 08 04 13 /+33 (0)6 71 39 39 41