U.S. Patent Issued on Image Guidance System

patent has issued on an image-guidance system that enables surgeons to see the future path of the surgical instrument before ever touching the patient. The patent covers ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and x-ray applications, as well as features related to computerized image-assisted medical interventions such as biopsies.

Called UltraGuide, the system can reduce the surgeon's number of re-insertions and also reduces the time of the procedure and the risk of damage to surrounding organs. All imaging modalities acquire images in a two-dimensional plane. Typically, doctors must perform minimally invasive and interventional procedures within the same plane to see both the surgical tool and the target area at the same time. Using UltraGuide's guidance technology, doctors can access target areas safely and efficiently using an out-of-plane approach, crossing multiple image slices in route to the area of interest. This is important for accessing difficult-to-reach regions of the body where bone or vital organs lay in the path of the surgical instrument.

UltraGuide was developed by UltraGuide, Inc. (Lakewood, CO, USA). The company has also developed CT-Guide and Ultrasound-Guide. "UltraGuide's flexible imaging guidance systems are enabling technologies that will unlock the full potential of minimally invasive and interventional procedures, making them available to more patients across a wider range of procedures in lower cost-of-care settings,” said John Hesemann, president and CEO of UltraGuide.



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UltraGuide, Inc.