LEIPZIG,
Germany: 3Shape, a Danish company specialised in the development of
dental 3-D scanners and CAD/CAM software, has announced a global
strategic alliance with Astra Tech, a Swedish company manufacturing and
marketing dental implants. The enterprises intend to develop a new
software interface enabling 3Shape scanners to communicate with Astra
Tech software Atlantis VAD.

Atlantis VAD is a patented process using 3-D
scanning to generate an exact virtual image of the upper and lower
implant-level models. Once the new software has been developed, the
interface will allow 3Shape scanner users to transfer digital scan information of patient oral geometry to Astra Tech Atlantis design and manufacturing facilities worldwide.

“The partnership with 3Shape is a strategic business opportunity, which
will further strengthen Astra Tech’s position within the area of digital
implant dentistry, contribute to a faster market penetration for
Atlantis, and create added value for our customers and their patients”,
says Peter Selley,CEO of the Astra Tech Group.
President and CEO at 3Shape Flemming Thorup added that the collaboration
will offer maximum flexibility to the company’s reselling partners and
their dental lab customers using 3Shape scanner and software solutions.
“We are very happy that the collaboration between Astra Tech and 3Shape
will make it possible for many laboratories to benefit from the strength
of our respective companies,” he stated.

3Shape runs offices in Denmark, the Ukraine, Poland, China and the USA.
The company says its systems are created by more than 85 developers and
applied in thousands of labs in more than 60 countries.

Astra Tech is a business division of the UK-based Astra Zeneca group
which also manufactures pharmaceuticals for use in different clinical
fields.