Develops and manufactures in Switzerland surgical systems, instruments and consumables for ophthalmic surgery.
Oertli Instrumente AG
9442 Berneck (CH) · St. Gallen (founding location)New on Amplifa
Precision Medical Technology from the Rhine Valley
Oertli Instrumente AG is a Swiss family-owned company (2nd generation, Bosshard family) headquartered in Berneck in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley, which develops, manufactures and distributes surgical devices, instruments and consumables for cataract, glaucoma and vitreoretinal surgery. At the headquarters in Berneck, development, production, quality and logistics are bundled at one site: in an 11,000 m² Lean Factory on three floors, a 660 m² cleanroom certified to ISO and FDA standards, a fully automated high-bay warehouse and an in-house Bio Lab for material analyses on biocompatibility. Key components of the devices and instruments are manufactured in the company's own parts production using CNC machining, micro-machining and surface treatment. The products – including the portable phaco platform CataRhex 3 (approx. 5 kg) – are used in over 100 countries, from eye clinics and Ambulatory Surgery Centers to military hospitals (DoD & VA, USA) and humanitarian outreach programs. Around 310 employees work in Berneck, and more than 400 worldwide.
- Site
- Berneck
- Processes
- CNC Production (component manufacturing), Micro-Machining, Surface Treatment, Repair and service support throughout the entire product life cycle, Application specialists on site in the operating room, Global distribution network with local partners for consulting, technical support and service, In-house development and manufacturing (CNC, micro-machining, surface treatment), Bio Lab for material analyses (biocompatibility)
- Certificates
- ISO (Cleanroom certification to ISO and FDA standards), Cleanroom certified to ISO and FDA standards, Swiss Medtech Award 2024
- Founded
- 1955
- Employees
- approx. 310 in
- Industries
- Medical Technology / Ophthalmic Surgery, Cataract Surgery, Glaucoma Surgery, Vitreoretinal Surgery, Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC) & Office-Based Surgery, Military and VA Healthcare Centers (DoD & VA, USA)
- 01
Development (design thinking, close to the application)
- 02
Parts production (CNC, micro-machining, surface treatment)
- 03
Cleanroom production (Lean, partly automated lines)
- 04
Material analysis in the Bio Lab
- 05
Quality, Clinical & Regulatory
- 06
Logistics (automated high-bay warehouse)
- 07
Sales and service via 5 subsidiaries and partners worldwide
Locations
Berneck
CHHeadquarters: development, production, quality, logistics
- 11,000 m² Lean Factory (3 floors)
- 660 m² cleanroom (ISO/FDA-certified)
- 14 m high fully automated high-bay warehouse
- CNC parts production
- Micro-machining
- Surface treatment
- Bio Lab for material analyses
Components and Parts
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC Production (component manufacturing)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Micro-MachiningMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface TreatmentSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC manufacturing (parts production) | – | – | – | – | Berneck |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Cleanroom
Quality, Clinical and Regulatory are involved from the very beginning of development; production is partly automated in a 660 m² cleanroom certified to ISO and FDA standards. In the company's own Bio Lab, material analyses on biocompatibility are carried out.
| Evidence | Berneck |
|---|---|
| Cleanroom certified to ISO and FDA standards | |
| Swiss Medtech Award 2024 |
Company History
- 1955
Heinz A. Oertli founds a company for surgical instruments in St. Gallen at the age of 25 (approx. 25 m² cellar room, Stylstrasse 8).
- 1971
Klöti vitrectomy cutter: the world's first solution for removing the vitreous body (with Prof. Rudolf Klöti).
- 1972
First application of bipolar diathermy in ophthalmology.
- 1974
VitroCat: first surgical platform for retinal surgery.
- 1980
Contamination-free cassette concept – fluidics in a closed system.
- 1985
Dual-linear foot switch (vertical and lateral control).
- 1992
Andreas Bosshard acquires Oertli; start of family ownership (2nd generation).
- 1994
Market launch of the Quinto surgical system for cataract surgery.
- 1996
First dual-pump system (true Venturi and peristaltic pump, freely selectable).
- 1997
World's first portable phaco system – beginning of the CataRhex family.
- 2001
Development of HFDS technology (High Frequency Deep Sclerotomy) for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma.
- 2002
Introduction of OS3 – platform for combined cataract and vitreoretinal procedures.
- 2004
CataRhex SwissTech – portable technology in cataract surgery.
- 2005
Pneumatic vitrectomy cutters for 23G and 25G.
- 2008
First self-sealing trocar system; easyPhaco technology for CO-MICS 1.8 mm.
- 2009
easyPhaco for 2.2 mm; market launch of Faros (cataract and retinal surgery in a compact system).
- 2010
Handover of operational leadership to Christoph and Thomas Bosshard.
- 2013–2021
Market launch of CataRhex 3 (approx. 5 kg) and OS 4 (all-in-one platform for cataract, glaucoma and vitreoretinal surgery).
- 2022
Christoph and Thomas Bosshard lead the company together as Co-CEOs.
- 2024
Winner of the Swiss Medtech Award.