Healthcare Industry News: magnetic navigation
News Release - February 14, 2006
New Technology Helps Save Lives by Making Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer Possible
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 14 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- A new navigation technology in use at hospitals across the United States is helping physicians to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages, when the disease is more treatable."SDBS offers a low-risk means of obtaining biopsies throughout the lungs and in the lymph nodes," said Dr. Tom Gildea, Associate Staff in the Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine and Transplant Center at the Cleveland Clinic. "It improves upon earlier diagnostic and staging methods by combining the strengths of each method into a single procedure."
SDBS is a minimally invasive procedure that enables physicians to biopsy and more accurately diagnose lung masses at an early stage when there is greater opportunity for treatment and cure. SDBS also provides access to the lymph nodes so staging determinations of malignant masses can be made.
Standard bronchoscopy, currently the most common method for diagnosing lung cancer, is generally a low-risk procedure, but it is unable to reach the periphery of the lungs where two-thirds of masses are located. This makes it difficult to determine with precision if a mass is benign or malignant.
Without a definitive diagnosis, patients must choose between two unattractive options. The first option is to undergo invasive procedures, such as surgery or needle biopsy, to determine the nature of the problem. The second option is to keep a constant watch on the suspicious mass and undergo procedures such as CT scans or X-rays every few months.
About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. According to American Cancer Society estimates, lung cancer caused more than 163,000 deaths in 2005 alone. The high number of deaths correlates to the low survival rate of those with lung cancer. It is estimated that of the more than 172,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, only 15 percent will live another five years. Earlier diagnosis and treatment will increase the chance that patients will live longer.
About the superDimension/Bronchus System (SDBS)
The innovation of SDBS rests in its creation of a three-dimensional lung image and real-time navigation to masses on that image. Prior to the procedure, the system's software transforms a CT scan into a three-dimensional image of the lungs. During the procedure, a steerable tool fitted with a localization sensor is inserted into the lungs. Electromagnetic navigation, in conjunction with the localization sensor, guides the physician to pre- identified masses on the three-dimensional image. Once the mass has been located, tools are inserted through the working channel so that a biopsy can be obtained.
About superDimension
superDimension is an emerging world leader in the minimally-invasive diagnosis and treatment of lung disease (e.g., cancer, emphysema) via interactive real-time guidance of endoscopic tools. The Company offers a turnkey navigation system, the superDimension/Bronchus System (SDBS), consisting of capital equipment and disposables. SDBS answers a critical clinical need by accurately reaching, in a minimally-invasive manner, lung locations that are far beyond the reach of the standard bronchoscope in order to diagnose and stage lung disease.
SDBS combines proprietary and patented core technologies in the areas of electromagnetic localization for medical applications, image processing, image-to-body registration and steerable endoscopic tools. SDBS, strongly endorsed by world-renowned interventional pulmonologists, is the only FDA- cleared navigation system for guiding endoscopic instruments in the pulmonary tract.
The Company, which holds 14 granted U.S. patents, was selected by MIT's Technology Review magazine as one of the five most significant patent holders in the world for 2004. Of the five patent holders named, superDimension was the only healthcare-related institution.
superDimension's world headquarters is located in Herzliya, Israel. Its U.S. distribution headquarters is located in Minneapolis, MN. Its European distribution headquarters is located in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The superDimension product line is a registered trademark of superDimension Ltd. Extended Working Channel, Locatable Guide and Guided Lymph Node Approach are trademarks of superDimension Ltd.
Source: superDimension
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