Sep 22 2008
OmniGuide, Inc., announced today the introduction of the new BeamPath NEURO(TM), the first flexible CO2 laser scalpel for neurosurgery. The BeamPath NEURO fiber provides surgeons with a precise, no-touch microsurgical tool for various central nervous system (CNS) procedures, including intracranial tumor surgeries, spine tumor surgeries and transnasal pituitary surgeries. BeamPath NEURO is designed for operating near critical structures, for accessing difficult to reach regions of the brain and for minimizing thermal injury to adjacent healthy tissue of the brain or spine.
The clinical benefits of CO2 lasers for neurosurgery were recognized 30 years ago. However, prior to BeamPath, CO2 lasers could only be delivered through a large articulated arm system and were limited to "line-of-sight" procedures. As a result, for the past twenty years, CO2 lasers have rarely been used in neurosurgery. With the introduction of the BeamPath NEURO flexible CO2 laser, neurosurgeons now have the ability to perform precise dissection, cutting, debulking, and microvascular coagulation using a hand-held, no-touch instrument.
"Neurosurgeons have long realized the benefits of CO2 lasers for microsurgery, but the traditional means of delivering the laser were too rigid and unwieldy for microsurgery, limiting lasers' use in our specialty," said Robert F. Spetzler, M.D., F.A.C.S., Director, Barrow Neurological Institute, J.N. Harbor Chairman of Neurological Surgery in Phoenix, Ariz. "A flexible CO2 laser is ideal for removing small tumors that are in close proximity to critical structures, including very sensitive areas of the brain and spinal cord, as well as for tumors in deep holes, when the most precise, no-touch surgical tool is essential."
BeamPath NEURO fibers empower surgeons to perform delicate cutting and coagulation with minimal thermal tissue damage and ultimate maneuverability. With one surgical tool, BeamPath NEURO enables:
- Precise dissection--enables pin-point accuracy while separating adherent tumor from critical structures.
- Cutting--allows for efficient and precise removal of tumor and tumor remnants.
- Debulking--shrinks tumor mass in a layer-by-layer fashion.
- Microvascular Coagulation--enables the surgeon to operate on appropriate tumors within a clean field.
- A surgeon-controlled, no-touch tool--reduces tissue retraction and manipulation leading to limited post-op edema and possibly quicker recovery.
"OmniGuide is experiencing strong demand for our precision surgical systems across a multiplicity of clinical verticals including head and neck cancer, otology and airway surgery," said Yoel Fink, OmniGuide co-founder and CEO. "The BeamPath NEURO represents an important step towards capturing value by developing scalpels that target specific clinical indications and disease states. We are excited to expand into the neurosurgery market where we are satisfying an unmet need for a precise, no-touch, minimally invasive optical scalpel."
The BeamPath NEURO-L Fiber and four BeamPath NEURO hand pieces are now available through OmniGuide by calling 1-888-OMNI-GUIDE.