US HIFU Partners with Riverside Research Institute to Add Cancer Targeting Technology to HIFU Treatment

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- US HIFU, a worldwide leader in the development, distribution and use of minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies, announced today its exclusive partnership with Riverside Research Institute (RRI) to develop and test an ultrasonic method of prostate imaging and treatment that combines advanced tissue-type imaging with ultrasound energy from the Sonablate® 500 medical device.  The objective of this modality is to more reliably detect and evaluate cancerous tissue and make treating only the cancerous prostatic tissue instead of the entire gland possible.  This capability will take prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment to an exciting new level. Once the combined technologies are clinically validated, this advanced tissue-typing technology will become a standard feature in the Sonablate device.

"We are continually refining the HIFU procedure and have been researching focal therapy, which simply means targeting and treating the cancerous prostatic tissue instead of the entire prostate," said US HIFU CEO Steve Puckett, Jr. "We are extremely pleased to join forces with Riverside Research Institute because of what it can mean for patient care. This partnership may lead to an unprecedented capability to find the cancer and treat it with HIFU."

Sonablate HIFU, currently under FDA investigation in the U.S., treats the diseased prostate with the power of ultrasound by delivering extreme heat in rapid-fire succession to miniscule targets throughout the prostate so that the prostate is ablated, a process similar to the sun's rays burning a leaf when directed through a magnifying glass.

Ernest Feleppa, Ph.D., RRI Research Director said, "We are very excited about the advances in prostate cancer treatment that this partnership makes possible.  The current lack of a reliable means of imaging prostate tumors typically requires treatment of prostate cancer to involve the entire gland.  By incorporating a method of imaging tumors within the prostate, we will be able to take full advantage of the precise ability of HIFU to target only the diseased region, which will spare healthy tissue, retain gland function and minimize toxic side effects.  This capability, which will be realized in a single integrated ultrasound device, represents a major breakthrough in prostate cancer treatment."

Dr. Feleppa will describe tissue-type imaging and what it can mean for cancer treatment at the Third International Symposium on Focal Therapy and Imaging of Prostate and Kidney Cancer, taking place in Washington, D.C. from February 24-27.

About US HIFU, LLC

US HIFU, LLC is a privately held healthcare company focused on treating primary and recurrent prostate cancer using HIFU, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure. US HIFU was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. Additional information can be found at www.ushifu.com.

About the Sonablate® 500

The Sonablate® 500 is a minimally invasive medical device that utilizes ultrasound energy to destroy tissue within the body. It was developed by Focus Surgery, Inc. and is manufactured in part by Misonix, Inc. (Nasdaq: MSON), which also holds distribution rights in Europe. Takai Hospital Supply Ltd. distributes the Sonablate® 500 in Southeast Asia. The Sonablate® 500 is not approved for use in the U.S. The Sonablate® 500 remains investigational in the U.S. and is being studied for the treatment of prostate cancer in clinical trials in the U.S. FDA has made no decision as to the safety or efficacy of the Sonablate® 500 for the treatment of prostate cancer.

About Riverside Research Institute

Riverside Research Institute transitions science and technology from the abstract to reality, from theory to the laboratory, and from the laboratory to the field. Headquartered in New York City, Riverside Research Institute, a 501(c )(3) organization, has six major offices across the United States.  Its New York office houses its biomedical engineering laboratories—the Frederic L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering.  Biomedical research at the Institute emphasizes advanced biomedical-ultrasound technology for imaging and treating disease.  Additional information is available at http://www.rri-usa.org.

SOURCE US HIFU, LLC