Ziehm Imaging and Medtronic Present Interface for Image-Guided 3D Navigation

NUREMBERG, Germany, November 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical technology players Ziehm Imaging and Medtronic teamed up to improve the use of 3D imaging together with intraoperative navigation. The Ziehm Vision FD Vario 3D C-arm now connects to Medtronic's StealthStation(R) navigation system over the Ziehm NaviPort interface to deliver distortion-free 3D images during an operation. These images are transmitted directly to the navigation system. The jointly developed interface, ideal for use in traumatology and spinal surgery, expands Ziehm Imaging's portfolio, also strengthening the company's global footprint in the US in particular.

3D imaging is rapidly becoming the industry standard in modern surgery. It gives the surgeon greater orientation during an operation and, in combination with intraoperative navigation functionality, enables high-precision, real-time monitoring. Particularly in the case of complex, minimally invasive procedures, high-resolution x-rays improve reliability and reduce the risk of follow-up procedures.

Ziehm NaviPort delivers highly precise intraoperative image data

Inspired by rising quality awareness in clinics and the growing prevalence of minimally invasive surgery, Ziehm Imaging and Medtronic teamed up to develop a new solution aimed at improving intraoperative processes. Ziehm NaviPort acts as an interface between Ziehm Imaging's C-arm with flat-panel technology (Ziehm Vision FD Vario 3D) and Medtronic's navigation system (StealthStation). This new combination means that the patient benefits from distortion-free 3D data volumes with over 16,000 shades of gray and shorter fluoroscopy times thanks to navigation technology.

"StealthStation's navigation system is the perfect complement to our C-arm, bringing a totally new dimension to the class of support we can offer surgeons in the OR," says Martin Herzmann, Director Marketing at Ziehm Imaging. "It has never been as easy to combine navigation functionality with our C-arm. Data is registered automatically and transferred directly to the navigation software. Medtronic has taken the ergonomics of navigation and intraoperative 3D imaging to a new level - to the benefit of both patients and surgeons."

By interfacing the navigation system with Ziehm NaviPort, the new solution visualizes surgical instruments, which - in combination with high-precision 3D images - actively support the surgeon's decision-making process and track progress during the actual procedure. The data is transferred automatically from the C-arm through Ziehm NaviPort to the StealthStation navigation system. This gives the surgeon a real-time navigation guide, eliminating the need to re-register the 3D data record. As a result, the surgeon can quickly and reliably check and document the results of the intervention. The combined C-arm and navigation platform is particularly suited to clinical applications in orthopedic, trauma and neurosurgical surgery.

"This joint development project with Ziehm Imaging allows us to clearly address the growing market for intraoperative 3D imaging," explains Harald Joedicke, Product Manager Europe at Medtronic. "Surgeons, OR staff and patients all benefit from the added reliability and improved operating results enabled by our new joint solution."

Optimum image quality with a minimal footprint

Ziehm Vision FD Vario 3D delivers excellent 2D and 3D images with an extremely compact footprint. It combines 2D image quality with intraoperative 3D functionality, reducing the space required by a conventional 3D machine by up to 30 percent. The world's first 3D C-arm with flat-panel technology, the Ziehm Vision FD Vario 3D produces distortion-free images with optimum reproduction of both soft tissue and bone anatomy due to its highly dynamic range with over 16,00 shades of gray.

    Press officer:
    Ziehm Imaging
    Martin Herzmann
    Director Global Marketing
    [email protected]
    Tel: +49-911-2172-0
    Fax: +49-911-2172-390
    http://www.ziehm.com

SOURCE Ziehm Imaging