MRI Interventions' ClearPoint System Used by Physicians in Laser Ablation Procedures for Patients with Epilepsy and Brain Tumor

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MRI Interventions, Inc.'s (OTCBB: MRIC) ClearPoint^® Neuro Intervention System continues to extend its role as an integrated platform for performing a wide range of minimally-invasive neurological procedures, as physicians are now using the ClearPoint system in connection with laser ablation therapy.  The ClearPoint system provides guidance for the placement and operation of instruments or devices during the planning and operation of neurological procedures within the MRI environment, making it an ideal delivery platform to place laser probes to precisely targeted areas in the brain. 

Using the ClearPoint system to deliver laser ablation therapy, the surgeon sees and selects the desired neurological target, aims the ClearPoint SmartFrame^® targeting device, and watches under real-time MRI guidance as the laser probe is advanced through the SmartFrame device to the target.  Energy is then delivered to the target area through the laser probe, and that energy destroys the unwanted tissue.  Because the procedure is performed within the MRI environment, the surgeon is able to monitor brain tissue temperature throughout the procedure, and to verify that the targeted tissue has been destroyed.

Dr. Hooman Azmi at Hackensack University Medical Center was the first surgeon to couple the ClearPoint system with laser ablation technology in connection with the treatment of malignant brain tumors called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Dr. Robert Gross at Emory University Hospital was the first to use the ClearPoint system and laser ablation technology to treat patients with epilepsy.  Both Drs. Azmi and Gross originally had brought the ClearPoint system into their hospitals to assist with the placement of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes.

"The combination of these two technologies – the ClearPoint MRI-guided system and laser ablation – has the potential to provide minimally-invasive treatment options for patients whose epileptic seizures cannot be controlled with medications," said Dr. Gross.

Though the diseases are different, for many patients with GBM and certain forms of epilepsy the main treatment option is surgical resection, or removal, of the affected area in the brain. This is usually a highly invasive procedure that requires surgeons to detach a large portion of the patient's skull in order to access the target location. For most people with GBM, surgical resection is the best option for increasing chances of survival, but not infrequently, the tumor is located in an area which makes open surgery with limited visualization risky. Some patients with epilepsy or brain tumor also do not make good candidates for conventional surgical resection due to the highly invasive nature of the traditional procedure.

"ClearPoint allows me to surgically treat patients I would not be able to treat using other platform systems," stated Dr. Azmi. "It allows me to visualize the tumor and healthy brain tissue while I am working without putting my patient through a highly invasive procedure. Using ClearPoint, I can ensure clean margins while avoiding damage to the rest of the brain. I imagine this platform will be helpful in delivering a wide range of therapies to brain disorders, above and beyond what we have seen so far."

"We are excited about both current and future applications for our ClearPoint platform," said Kimble Jenkins, CEO of MRI Interventions. "Our vision is that the ClearPoint system will remain at the forefront of minimally invasive neurosurgery enabling more options for more patients suffering from neurological disorders."

The ClearPoint system is intended to be used as an integral part of procedures, such as biopsies and catheter and electrode insertions, which have traditionally been performed using stereotactic methods, and it is designed to allow those procedures to be performed in a hospital's existing MRI suite.  The laser probe used by physicians in the laser ablation procedure is manufactured and sold by a third party medical device company.

About Epilepsy
Approximately 2.3 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of epilepsy, and around 250,000 of these patients are resistant to medication. Partially due to the highly invasive nature of the traditional open skull resection, only 1,500 to 3,000 of such surgical resections for epilepsy are currently performed each year in the U.S.  To learn more about epilepsy, please visit: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy.

About Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)
GBM is an aggressive and invasive type of brain tumor.  Historically, standard treatment has involved surgery, followed by radiation therapy or combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy. To learn more about GBMs, please visit: http://www.braintumor.org/patients-family-friends/about-brain-tumors/tumor-types/glioblastoma-multiforme.html

About MRI Interventions, Inc.
Founded in 1998, MRI Interventions is creating innovative platforms for performing the next generation of minimally invasive surgical procedures in the brain and heart.  Utilizing a hospital's existing MRI suite, the company's FDA-cleared ClearPoint^® system is designed to enable a range of minimally invasive procedures in the brain.  MRI Interventions has a co-development and co-distribution agreement with Brainlab, a leader in software-driven medical technology, relating to the ClearPoint system.  In partnership with Siemens Healthcare, MRI Interventions is developing the ClearTrace^® system to enable MRI-guided catheter ablations to treat cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. Building on the imaging power of MRI, the company's interventional platforms strive to improve patient care while reducing procedure costs and times. MRI Interventions is also working with Boston Scientific Corporation to incorporate its MRI-safety technologies into Boston Scientific's implantable leads for cardiac and neurological applications.  For more information, please visit www.mriinterventions.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements often can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "should," "will," "would," or the negative of these words or other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that, to different degrees, are uncertain and involve risk. Uncertainties and risks may cause MRI Interventions' actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by MRI Interventions' forward-looking statements. Particular uncertainties and risks include, among others: demand and market acceptance of our products; our ability to successfully expand our sales and marketing capabilities; our ability to successfully complete the development of, and to obtain regulatory clearance or approval for, future products, including our current product candidates; availability of third party reimbursement; the sufficiency of our cash resources to maintain planned commercialization efforts and research and development programs; future actions of the FDA or any other regulatory body that could impact product development, manufacturing or sale; our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our dependence on collaboration partners; the impact of competitive products and pricing; and the impact of the commercial and credit environment on us and our customers and suppliers. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect MRI Interventions' actual results are described in MRI Interventions' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, MRI Interventions' most recent annual report on Form 10-K. Except as required by law, MRI Interventions undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in MRI Interventions' expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Contact Information:
MRI Interventions, Inc.
David Carlson, CFO, 901-522-9300

SOURCE MRI Interventions, Inc.