InSightec to Exhibit Non-Invasive Treatment for Uterine Fibroids at 5th Annual World Health Care Congress

TIRAT CARMEL, Israel — InSightec Ltd. today announced that it will exhibit at the 5th Annual World Health Care Congress in Washington, DC from April 21-23. The company will feature the only FDA approved MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) device, the ExAblate(R) 2000, which has been used to treat uterine fibroids non-invasively, minimizing trauma, morbidity and recovery time. In addition to enhancing patient care, the procedure has a significant economic impact reducing overall medical costs when compared to conventional surgery. Uterine fibroid is a pervasive condition that impacts up to 70% of women of childbearing age and can lead to serious symptoms.

The company's ExAblate(R) 2000 is the world's first non-invasive surgery system to combine focused ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. It received its European CE Marking in 2002 and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2004 for treating uterine fibroids.

source: Centre Daily Times

Major Surgery No Longer Needed For The Removal Of Uterine Fibroids

The treatment of uterine fibroids with 3T MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is safe, non-invasive and effective, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, NY.

"Approximately 25% of women in the United States have clinically symptomatic fibroids, and treatment has most commonly been surgical with hysterectomy or myomectomy. However, in the past decade, new options have been developed in radiology, includingnon-invasive MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) and minimally invasive uterine artery embolization (UAE) to treat these patients," said Elizabeth K. Arleo, MD, lead author of the study along with Robert J. Min, MD, MBA, chairman of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

source: Medical News Today

BioSphere Medical Highlights Patient and Economic Benefits When Ob/Gyns and Interventional Radiologists Collaborate

BioSphere Medical Highlights Patient and Economic Benefits When Ob/Gyns and Interventional Radiologists Collaborate to Treat Women Suffering with Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids

ROCKLAND, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2008--BioSphere Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSMD) today announced that more than 41,000 ob/gyns around the country are expected to receive a supplement in the April 2008 Contemporary OB/GYN which highlights the clinical benefits that result when ob/gyns and interventional radiologists (IRs) work in collaboration to treat women suffering with symptomatic uterine fibroids. The supplement, entitled "Expert Exchange: How to Formulate the Relationship Between the Ob/Gyn and the Interventional Radiologist for the Treatment of Uterine Fibroids," was funded by BioSphere Medical.

The "Expert Exchange" supplement details the mutually beneficial collaborative experiences of John H. Fischer II, M.D., Assistant Professor of Radiology, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and Robert K. Zurawin, M.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine.

source: Biosphere Medical

Refer PAD ‘directly to interventional radiologists’, researchers say

Paola Accalai

Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) should be referred directly from primary care to an interventional radiologist, a study suggests [1].

Researchers said the option should be evaluated considering “the trend toward catheter-based procedures” for revascularization, and the “known expertise” of interventional radiologists in these procedures.

The study group assessed whether the management practices of interventional radiologists were similar to those of vascular surgeons.

source: MedicExchange

Toshiba Introduces Advanced Image Processing for its Infinix Cardiac Systems

CHICAGO — April 1, 2008 — At this year's American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in Chicago, March 30 – April 1, 2008 (Booth # 8001), Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. will be showcasing its Advanced Image Processing (AIP) technology for its Infinix™ X-ray product line. With AIP, physicians will be able to better visualize even the smallest interventional devices and provide better patient care to patients undergoing interventional procedures.

"The image quality offered by Toshiba's Infinix line, particularly the AIP feature, is remarkable," said Dr. John S. Wilson, medical director, cardiovascular services, Washington Hospital. "AIP allows us to image bariatric patients, which was difficult to do before. It also gives us reduced background noise and improved device and vessel visualization, which allows us to increase workflow and provide better patient care during our interventional procedures."

source: Toshiba Medical