PET Imaging Added to Cancer-Fighting Radiosurgery System

The new version adds the ability to register positron emission tomography (PET) images, which are increasingly used to detect unusual metabolic activity indicative of an active growing tumor.

Integra LifeSciences (Plainsboro, NJ, USA) released its latest image registration software, ImageFusion 3. The software was originally developed in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA, USA) and the University of Leuven (Belgium).

ImageFusion 3 is also fully automatic, providing image registration in seconds without any manual input or adjustments. "The ability to fuse PET images will allow us to see more of the tumor and improve our targeting of cancer in the brain and body,” said Dr. Alirezza Kassaee, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA, USA). "I'm also very impressed with the new software's speed and accuracy.”

When the ImageFusion 3 software is used with Integra's XKnife radiosurgery system, tumors throughout the body can be accurately targeted and precisely treated using focused radiation beams from a linear accelerator. Unlike traditional surgery, XKnife radiosurgery is completely non-invasive and does not require a surgical incision, thus eliminating the discomfort and possible complications associated with standard surgery. Neighboring healthy tissue is spared and patients are typically able to leave the hospital immediately after their one-time, 30-minute treatment. To date, over 45,000 patients have undergone XKnife radiosurgery.

ImageFusion 3's increased speed is also beneficial when used in conjunction with the OmniSight image-guided system platform for the treatment of movement disorders. Worldwide prevalence of movement disorders is estimated at over four million people, and demand is increasing for effective therapies to delay disease progression and improve the quality of life for patients. When medication is ineffective, severe movement disorders may respond to deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS requires precisely located implantable electrodes within the brain, which deliver electrical impulses to counteract the tremors. The software enables neurosurgeons to fuse high-definition MR images with precision CT images and obtain exact coordinates for placement of the electrode.

Integra LifeSciences' range of products is used primarily in neurosurgery, extremity reconstruction, orthopedics, and general surgery.


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