New Tool For Radiologists And Imaging Centers: LungPoint Procedure Planning Revolutionizes Referrals To Chest Physicians

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 01 Dec 2009 - 0:00 PDT


Broncus Technologies, Inc., a medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions for lung diseases, announced that it is showcasing its LungPoint System at the Radiologic Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting. Radiology departments and imaging centers are expected to benefit from this system. The computer-assisted, image-guided navigation system takes CT scans and provides multi-dimensional reconstructions of the airway tree and virtual animations of pathways to targets or lesions, allowing radiologists to provide much more sophisticated and detailed image reports to referring chest physicians.

"This is an exciting technology because finding an appropriate route through the lung airways to distant targets has long been a challenging aspect of bronchoscopy," explained pulmonologist J. Burr Ross, MD of John C. Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix. "This system will allow radiologists to provide much more comprehensive information to referring physicians which is something pulmonogists and thoracic surgeons will be quite grateful to have."

The LungPoint system also provides tools for the physician to use in reviewing the case with the patient. "Patients really appreciate being able to see exactly the areas in their own lungs that we are concerned about. Reviewing the images and pathways the system generates helps the patient understand the procedure they are about to undergo and puts them at ease," states Dr. Ross.

The system's planning software will help radiologists and imaging centers provide more comprehensive reports to physicians. "We believe that the system will allow radiologists to provide more value and increase their referrals by delivering thorough procedure planning information to lung specialists," states Cary Cole, President and CEO of Broncus Technologies.

About the LungPoint System

The LungPoint Procedure Planning and Virtual Bronchoscopic Navigation system is used to plan and guide bronchoscopic procedures such as lung biopsies and fiducial marker placement. The software gives the physician tools to look at the lungs and airways in three dimensions, resulting in more effective treatment planning and execution. During bronchoscopy, the planned virtual path is compared to the live bronchoscope video images, indicating to the physician the correct airway to follow for optimal biopsy accuracy.

Source
Broncus Technologies, Inc.

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