SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 1 -- Paradigm Medical Industries Inc. has begun shipping its photon laser system for cataract removal to Italy, Portugal, France and Germany and is in the process of arranging deliveries to other European countries, the company said. The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the device for use in the US. Stephen Ganem, chief of ophthalmology at the Rothschild Eye Institute (Paris), demonstrated the device in front of 250 eye surgeons by performing five cataract surgeries last week in Paris. This is an important advancement in cataract surgery, Ganem said. Paradigm has made enormous progress since I first came in contact with the company several years ago. Not only is the laser system safer but it is able to remove much harder cataracts than the company has led us to believe.