3D Imaging in the Operating Room is set to Revolutionize Radio-Guided Surgeries

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For decades, non-imaging gamma probes have been used to guide surgeons to critical lymph nodes in cancer patients. More recently, a procedure has been developed to guide tumor surgery using the same probe, however the non-imaging probes used in these procedures cannot provide accurate depth information. According to the results presented by two leading medical institutions at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2012 Annual Cancer Symposium March 21st, 2012, the SurgicEye declipseSPECT, an intra-operative handheld 3D image viewing device cleared by the US FDA, may improve the accuracy of these procedures by providing three dimensional images of the tumor and lymph nodes.

Leading surgeons from The Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam presented on the use of the declipseSPECT in the radioguided resection of non-palpable breast cancer. Their results showed that declipseSPECT could support radio-guided surgery by determining the precise 3D localization of the marked cancer and lymph nodes in the operating room. In addition the system allowed them to determine the depth of each structure and to image the lumpectomy specimen to verify margins; all margins were verified to be negative by pathology.

The lead author, Dr. Omgo E. Nieweg, a surgeon at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, commented that: "The innovative 3D declipseSPECT technology may make the sentinel node biopsy easier and more reliable. New technologies like 3D declipseSPECT will also open up lymphatic mapping to additional cancer types, cancer types in locations with a more intricate anatomy and cancer types with more complex lymph drainage."

The team of surgeons from the General Surgery Department of the University Hospital of the Technische Universitat Munchen, Munich, Germany, presented on the use of the declipseSPECT in locating sentinel nodes of melanoma patients. The system enabled the physicians to intra-operatively image all of the nodes seen in preoperative imaging. In addition, by using the device for post-excision imaging in the operating room, the team was able to confirm and document complete resection of the nodes.

The declipseSPECT device is provided in the U.S. exclusively by Dilon Diagnostics, the market leader in molecular breast imaging, a new diagnostic test that can find cancers missed by other modalities.  According to company CEO, Mr. Robert Moussa, "Dilon is the market leader in gamma imaging technologies for breast cancer detection. The declipseSPECT system is a natural fit for our product portfolio since it extends gamma imaging capabilities into the operating room. We are excited and encouraged by these results and our company continues to lead the molecular imaging market through innovation and partnerships like the one we share with SurgicEye."

About Dilon Diagnostics®

Dilon Diagnostics®, a brand of Dilon Technologies® Inc., is bringing innovative new medical imaging products to market. Dilon's cornerstone product, the Dilon 6800®, is a high-resolution, small field-of view gamma camera, optimized to perform BSGI/MBI, a molecular breast imaging procedure which images the metabolic activity of breast lesions through radiotracer uptake. Many leading medical centers around the country are now offering BSGI/MBI to their patients, such as Cornell University Medical Center, New York and The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. For more information on Dilon Technologies please visit www.molecularbreastimaging.com.

Media contact: Pjerin Luli
P: 757-269-4910
E: [email protected]

About SurgicEye®

SurgicEye® offers solutions for intraoperative 3-D imaging and instrument navigation. The recent product declipseSPECT of SurgicEye® implements the so-called freehand SPECT technology for detection, localization and guided biopsy of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer, melanoma and head & neck malignancies. Clinical investigations in other tumor surgery domains promise a wide application domain and huge potential for quality assurance during surgery. It enables surgical procedures to be more sensitive, more reliable and less invasive. For more information on SurgicEye®, please visit www.surgiceye.com.

Media contact: Claudia Ramirez-Wiesner
P: +49 89 54 99 89 001
E: [email protected]

SOURCE Dilon Diagnostics