MRI compatible positioning device that can be used for destroying tumors and clots in the brain

Profil Titel	MRI compatible positioning device that can be used for destroying tumors and clots in the brain
Referenz	11 CY 0641 3LY9
Herkunftsland	Cyprus
Kooperationsart	Angebot
Eintrag/Änderung	2011-07-08 / 2011-07-08
Status	Dieses Profil ist abgelaufen! Falls Sie denoch Interesse haben, kontaktieren Sie uns. (2012-07-04)

Kurzfassung

A Cypriot start up is offering an MRI compatible positioning device that can be used for the minimally invasive surgery of brain cancer and ischemic stroke using HIFU and MRI guidance. The company has designed and already tested in animals the prototype 3-D robot. The company also offers services regarding 3-D printing using the material of ABS. Partners are sought for the further development and commercialisation of the device as well as for its utilisation in basic research.

Details

A Cypriot start up is offering an MRI compatible positioning device that can be used for the minimally invasive surgery of brain cancer and ischemic stroke using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and MRI guidance. The device can be used also by bodies engaged in basic research in the area of therapeutic ultrasound.

The positioning device can
- be customised to the users needs
- be automated or manually driven
- carry an ultrasound source and other energies sources (RF, laser, microwave).
- be used in the laboratory setting.

The postioning device system includes the following subsystems:
1). MR compatible 3-D positioning system
2). Driving electronics
3). Digital I/O card
4). Driving Software
5). Coupling device

Specifications of the robot
1). 3 Shinsey piezoelectric motors (USR 60 E3N).
2). Range of axes: X axis: 15 cm, Y axis: 15 cm, Y axis: 6 cm. (Range can be changed upon request, except for Z).
3). Resolution: 0.2 mm.
4). Coupling method to targets: sideways or from top to bottom.

The following additional devices can be added in order to fully provide and MRI guided Focused ultrasound system:
1) MRI compatible transducer (D< 5 cm ).
2). 24 V DC supply.
3). Signal and RF amplifier (1OO0 W, tuned to a single frequency, JJ&A or by Amplifier Research).
4). MATLAB software.

Applications
a) Research tool for HIFU technology under MRI guidance. The MRI robot is placed on the MRI table of any commercial scanner.
b) Treatment of brain cancer and stroke.

Company expertise
The Cypriot start up company was founded in 2005 and was initially funded by the ministry of Commerce, industry and tourism of the government of Cyprus, under the program of high technology incubators. It has won the Cyprus Enterpreneur competition in 2008 and also the MedTech competition in 2008 organised by the European Commission.

The company specializes in the design of MRI guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) systems for the treatment of cancer in brain, liver and kidney. Recently the company performs research for the treatment of stroke. It has a very strong equipment infrastructure, which is valuated close to 1 million Euros.

Innovative Aspects:
The product has the following advantages:
1) MR compatible
2) Size of the system is small, and therefore portable.
3) The manually driven positioning device is inexpensive.

Advantages of Focused ultrasound:
1) pain is minimized (procedure is non-invasive),
2) system and procedure cost is low,
3) there are no side-effects since sound is a mechanical wave,
4) there is no danger of inflammation,
5) no scars appear in the patient’s skin,
6) recovery is faster than traditional surgical methods,
7) if any haemorrhage occurs ultrasound has the potential to stop bleeding,
8) the therapy can be repeated theoretically infinite times since there is no dose limit,
9). there is no ionising radiation from MRI as opposed to other systems that are guided by X-rays,
10). the therapy using ultrasound is local, whereas the therapy using drugs is systemic (whole body is involved),
11). maintenance of the system is low, and
12). size of the system is small.