Monteris Medical Reaches Milestone For NeuroBlate System

PLYMOUTH, Minn., Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Monteris Medical announced today that its NeuroBlate^® System, a minimally invasive robotic laser thermotherapy tool, has now been used by leading surgeons across the U.S. in more than 275 procedures. The NeuroBlate System employs a pulsed surgical laser to deliver targeted energy to abnormal brain tissue caused by tumors and lesions.

The NeuroBlate System combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and software-based visualization to allow surgeons to remotely ablate tumors in many locations in the brain, at the surface or deep inside, through a computer module. An MRI compatible robotic probe driver helps the surgeon precisely guide the laser probe to the tumor and apply heat to it in controlled amounts, until the targeted tissue is destroyed.

The NeuroBlate System is considered to be minimally invasive surgery. With the NeuroBlate System, a surgeon makes a small hole in the skull, approximately as wide as a pencil. A small probe is then used to deliver laser light energy to heat and destroy the tumor.

"For some tumors that are difficult to access with standard surgery, or considered 'inoperable,' NeuroBlate is providing a solution that can significantly impact patient prognosis," said Eric C. Leuthardt, M.D., associate professor of neurological surgery, Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.

With its minimally invasive approach, the NeuroBlate System has shown results analogous to open surgery.ⁱ Patients undergoing procedures with the NeuroBlate System may experience less pain compared with those undergoing open surgical procedures and reduced hospital length of stay over open surgical procedures.^i,ii,iii

"At this milestone, we're grateful to recognize the forward-thinking surgeons who have championed the introduction of the NeuroBlate System at their medical centers," said John E. Schellhorn, president and CEO of Monteris Medical. "We're also proud to contribute to the improved surgical experiences these physicians are bringing to their patients and families. We look forward to introducing our technology at additional medical centers in the coming months."

Since it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2013, the NeuroBlate System has been adopted for use in more than 20 leading institutions across the country including Cleveland Clinic, UC San Diego Health System, Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington University and Yale New Haven Hospital. Monteris Medical supports the installation of new systems with comprehensive hands-on training and ongoing technical support. In collaboration with its physician network, the Company is also continuing to contribute to the body of knowledge about the NeuroBlate System in scientific settings with ongoing peer-reviewed studies and reports.

About the NeuroBlate System^®

The NeuroBlate System is FDA-cleared to ablate, necrotize or coagulate soft tissue encountered in the discipline of neurosurgery through the application of laser thermotherapy. Full prescribing information for the NeuroBlate System is available at www.monteris.com.  

About Monteris^®

Monteris Medical is a privately held company developing devices for minimally-invasive, MR-guided neurosurgery. Monteris markets the NeuroBlate^® System for controlled, volumetric ablation of brain lesions. Monteris also offers the various Stereotactic anchoring devices for image-guided trajectory alignment, and the AtamA™ Stabilization System for MR based procedures requiring versatile head fixation.

For more information on Monteris Medical please visit www.monteris.com.

ⁱ Hawasli AH, Bagade S, Shimony JS, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused laser interstitial thermal therapy for intracranial lesions: single-institution series. Neurosurgery. 2013 Dec; 73(6):1007-17.

ⁱⁱ Sloan AE, Ahluwalia MS, Valerio-Pascua J, et al. Results of the NeuroBlate System first-in-humans Phase I clinical trial for recurrent glioblastoma: clinical article. J Neurosurg. 2013 Jun; 118(6):1202-19.

ⁱⁱⁱ Mohammadi, AM and Schroeder, JL. Laser interstitial thermal therapy in treatment of brain tumors – the NeuroBlate System. Expert Review of Medical Devices 2014 11:2, 109-119.

SOURCE Monteris Medical