Viking Systems EndoSite 3Di Vision System Provides Top Swedish Hospital With Stereoscopic 3D Vision During Endoscopic Surgeries

Market Wire, March, 2005

Viking Systems, Inc. (OTC: VKSY), a medical products company delivering integrated solutions for the digital surgical environment, today announced that surgeons at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden have begun testing the company's new EndoSite 3Di Digital Vision System to perform laparoscopic radical prostatectomies and other complex minimally invasive urological procedures including donor nephrectomies and pyeloplasties. A cost-efficient and more flexible alternative to robotic surgical solutions, Uppsala's surgeons have used the EndoSite to perform more complex surgical procedures minimally invasively by reducing hospital stays and returning patients to their normal activity levels more quickly than conventional open procedures. The EndoSite 3Di Digital Vision System provides the surgical team with 3D visualization and a far greater level of comfort than can be achieved with traditional 2D endoscopic video systems.

"Our first operations with the EndoSite have been a huge success as there is a significant advantage in having a stereoscopic view during endoscopic surgery," said Dr. Michael Haggman, associate professor in the Department of Urology at Uppsala University Hospital. "With the new EndoSite system, we can perform surgery with more precision, therefore decreasing the risk of damage to blood vessels and nerves."

"This system is far less expensive than robotic surgical solutions, but the biggest advantage is that it is more flexible than robots allowing us to use it in multiple procedures and we are also able to maintain tactile feeling during surgery," added Dr. Haggman.

The EndoSite 3Di Digital Vision System will be featured by Viking Systems this week at the European Urology Association Congress in Istanbul, Turkey. The system provides three-dimensional stereoscopic vision, resulting in enhanced depth perception and surgical precision, while allowing the surgeon to remain actively engaged with their patients. Utilizing the patented Head Mounted Display (HMD), each member of the surgical team can access high-resolution, stereoscopic images delivered within their natural line of sight. Ergonomically designed, the HMD provides unmatched comfort and significantly reduces surgical fatigue caused by standard vision systems as surgeons strain for hours to view the surgical field on less accommodating two-dimensional monitors. The system creates an immersive surgical environment providing MIS surgeons with improved vision quality and the sense of open surgery.

"Traditional systems require us to strain our necks to look at a 2D picture on a TV monitor, where as the EndoSite provides a natural 3D view through the head-mounted display," explained Dr. Haggman.

In addition, the EndoSite 3Di Digital Vision System provides real-time patient information, on-demand to the surgeon through Infomatix(TM), the system's digital information platform. Infomatix allows voice-activated, picture-in-picture presentation of existing diagnostic images and live secondary video. Easy access to this information -- without the need to divert attention from the surgical field -- equips surgeons to perform accurately and quickly while facilitating an informed decision-making process during surgery.

"The use of the EndoSite to perform laparoscopic radical prostatectomies and other complex minimally invasive urological procedures by Uppsala's surgeons highlights the technology's ability to enhance and enable many different types of minimally invasive procedures," said Tom Marsh, CEO of Viking Systems. "Our cutting-edge head-mounted display technology and cost-efficient price point are driving the EndoSite's acceptance with surgeons throughout North America and Europe as an enabling technology."

For more information, please visit: www.vikingsystems.com.

About Viking Systems, Inc.

Viking Systems, Inc. (OTC: VKSY) is committed to bringing integrated solutions to the digital surgical environment. The company's mission is to deliver integrated information, visualization, and control solutions to the surgical team, enhancing their capability and performance in minimally invasive (MIS) and complex surgical procedures. The company's product portfolio includes video, optical, robotic, and digital and information technologies in the market today and under development that serve the current and emerging needs of the digital healthcare network. Viking Systems is headquartered in La Jolla, CA. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.vikingsystems.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

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