ST. LOUIS, July 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Until now, the success of many liver cancer surgeries has been largely dependent on the varying quality of intraoperative ultrasound images. The additional information provided by pre-operative MR or CT scans has been in a form unusable to surgeons in the middle of a procedure trying to navigate through highly sensitive anatomy to eradicate cancerous tissue.
Pathfinder Therapeutics, a medical device company with first to market products for image-guided navigation of soft tissue organs, announced today that Barnes Jewish Hospital has purchased its Explorer system for use in liver cancer surgery. The Explorer image-guidance system gives surgeons the ability to utilize three imaging modalities for real-time tracking during surgery (intraoperative ultrasound, preoperative MR, and preoperative CT), offering surgeons the most information possible, and patients the greatest chance for success.
"The arrival of this technology is analogous to when ultrasound first came to market; it is an issue of doing cases better and more effectively. What is different, though, is that in some cases this technology will let you remove tumors seen on CT or MR scans, but not seen on ultrasound in the OR, known as the "disappearing live met" after chemotherapy," said Dr. William Chapman, General Surgery professor, and the chief of the Abdominal Transplantation Section at Barnes Jewish.
"We are very excited to announce this installation at Barnes Jewish, as we continue to expand our presence in the top tier cancer centers in the United States," said Jim Cloar, CEO of Pathfinder Therapeutics. "Sales momentum, and interest from around the world continues to build for Explorer. This installation follows other leading cancer centers already utilizing our technology such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, The University of North Carolina, and The NIH Clinical Center. Surgeons and hospitals are increasingly aware of how the use of state-of-the-art technology like Explorer can further distinguish their medical centers, as well as improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. Additionally, we are very pleased to continue working with Dr. Chapman and the entire surgical team at Barnes Jewish."
About Pathfinder
Pathfinder is the first company to receive FDA clearance for a medical device to navigate liver surgery using pre-operative medical images. The Explorer system uses state-of-the-art line of sight localization and surface registration techniques to show surgeons where they are in the context of their target organ and surrounding anatomical structures. Pathfinder is dedicated to increasing the number and effectiveness of surgeries on soft tissue organs by improving surgical precision. The Explorer system allows surgeons to "see through" the organ they are operating on by registering the surgical instrument in three-dimensional space onto the patient's pre-operative medical images. In addition to Explorer, Pathfinder sells Scout, a software system for liver surgery planning. The Company is also developing an embodiment of Explorer to be used in minimally invasive surgical interventions in the liver. Beyond liver, Pathfinder is developing its application for use on the kidney and pancreas, as well as other organs. For more information, visit www.pathsurg.com.
About Barnes Jewish Hospital
Barnes Jewish Hospital is a 1,288-bed teaching hospital affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. The hospital has a 1,763 member medical staff with many recognized as the "Best Doctors in America." Barnes Jewish is a top tier cancer center and a member of BJC HealthCare, which provides a full range of health care services through its 13 hospitals and more than 100 health care sites in Missouri and Illinois. Barnes Jewish Hospital is also consistently ranked as one of America's "Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit http://www.barnesjewish.org/.