A Medical Device Daily

The rollout of new products continues unabated at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA; Baltimore), running through tomorrow at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

Imaging powerhouse GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) launched the company’s new Urology Suite, featuring the OEC UroView 2800 digital imaging system, to provide, it said, “GE’s expertise in diagnostic and surgical imaging, ultrasound and information technologies for the complete urology care area.”

The Urology Suite features ultrasound, fluoroscopy and endoscopic image quality, which can contribute to the improvement of surgical outcomes. GE said that increased up time in the cystoscopy suite, where clinicians evaluate the urethra and/or bladder for possible lesions, is a result of the company’s dedicated service offering.

It added that increased connectivity allows for image access and review within the Urology Suite.

The total solution includes three products that GE said would “enhance physician efficiency and productivity for urological procedures.” They include OEC UroView 2800, which the company characterized as “the market-leading urological digital imaging system”; LOGIQ Ultrasound, a high-performance ultrasound; and LOGIQworks, a data management and multi-modality workstation.

The OEC UroView 2800 is a digital imaging system for cystoscopic/urological surgical and diagnostic procedures in which radiologic or endoscopic visualization also is needed. The new LOGIQ 5 EXPERT ultrasound system delivers the premium performance advantages of TruScan Architecture for unprecedented flexibility in acquiring, optimizing and storing ultrasound studies. The company said LOGIQworks “is a breakthrough in data management for ultrasound systems, equipped with 3-D/4-D reconstruction and review, integrated raw data capability and robust DICOM support.”

Elsewhere on the exhibit floor, Dornier MedTech (Munich, Germany) introduced the Compact Delta II with UIMS, a lithotripsy system the company said “combines proven technology with special imaging, communication and reporting functionality.”

The Compact Delta II is based upon the technology and performance of the Compact Delta. Dornier said the system delivers “exceptional stone-breaking ability” and offers treatment flexibility with a unique, motorized therapy head. The company said the isocentric design “allows imaging and targeting to revolve around a single focal point, making set-up and targeting precise and easy.”

The fully digital Compact Delta II also features UIMS (Urology Information Management System), a patient data management system that incorporates comprehensive DICOM capabilities, including print, store, query/retrieve and worklist management. Dornier said the urology based system can be integrated with other of its products, such as the Opus II or Doli S II, as well as any hospital network, allowing the user to exchange images from other modalities, including CT and ultrasound. Also available is the Advanced Patient Data Management Reporting System.

CEO Dave Eng said, “The addition of UIMS technology to the Compact Delta II adds another dimension to our line of lithotripters. The advanced imaging and networking capabilities make it ideal for any hospital or clinic.”

Dornier MedTech, whose U.S. headquarters are in Kennesaw, Georgia, specializes in lithotripters, urotables, orthopedic shockwave devices and medical-aesthetic lasers.

Also at AUA:

• Misonix (Farmingdale, New York), a developer of ultrasonic medical device technology for the treatment of cancer and other healthcare purposes, and Focus Surgery (Indianapolis), a pioneer in the field of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), reported new system capabilities designed to reduce impotence in men and shorten prostate treatment times with the Sonablate 500, a device for the treatment of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

The Sonablate 500 was developed by Focus Surgery and is distributed by Misonix in Europe and Russia. Misonix has an equity interest in Focus Surgery, manufactures the SB 500 and has an exclusive license to manufacture and sell a product using Focus Surgery’s HIFU for the ablation of cancerous tissue in the kidney and liver.

The improved capabilities of the Sonablate 500 include new software and hardware using Doppler ultrasound to detect the neurovascular bundles controlling erectile function, along with advanced 3-D imaging and intensive energy delivery cycles with remote access capabilities.

The companies said the addition of Doppler ultrasound enables a physician to detect the neurovascular bundles for potency preservation during prostate cancer treatment. The 3-D imaging software converts the ultrasound images into 3-D models. The physician is then able to rotate, slice and separate prostate from the surrounding tissue for accurate HIFU treatment.

Narendra Sanghvi, president and CEO of Focus Surgery, said, “These novel additions to the Sonablate 500 will help physicians improve the treatment outcome.”

The SB 500 is distributed by the major shareholders of Focus Surgery, including Takai Hospital Supply of Japan, which distributes the product in Asia; and USHIFU (Charlotte, North Carolina), which distributes it in the Americas; and Misonix.

• NexMed (Robbinsville, New Jersey), a developer of transdermal treatments based on its NexACT drug delivery technology, reported the preliminary results from a 400-patient “at home” study conducted in China.

The multi-center study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of three strengths of Femprox cream in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women diagnosed with female sexual arousal disorder. Femprox is applied topically and incorporates alprostadil, a vasodilator, with the NexACT permeation technology.

Patients showed demonstrable improvement in sexual arousal over the course of therapy, with 38.7% of those who used the highest dose of Femprox showing an improvement at the end of the first evaluation period and 51.5% doing so at the end of the second evaluation period.