Tiny Magnetic Seeds Provide Pinpoint Surgical Guidance

A novel navigation system uses audio and visual feedback to precisely locate non-palpable tumors, enabling surgeons to locate them more easily.

The Sirius Medical (Eindhoven, The Netherland) Pintuition system is a state-of-the-art, wire-free, radioactivity-free, and hassle-free device that offers a pinpoint approach to breast and other soft tissue tumors. It is based on robust magnetic seeds that can be placed up to 180 days prior to surgery to mark the tumor location, providing intuitive, accurate to the millimeter detection within a range of 50mm. The magnets are encapsulated in biocompatible titanium, have no signal decay over time, no radiation, and are visible on most imaging modalities.


The system is powered by GPSDetect, state-of-the-art navigation software that provides directional feedback using audio and visual guidance to locate the seeds, as well as the proprietary TargetLOC feature, which indicates when the probe is aligned directly above the seed. The reusable detection system needs only a single calibration per procedure, is highly robust, and cannot be de-activated or lose its signal. The probe is also fully reusable and compatible with conventional surgical tools.

“Our latest GPSDetect software uses our unique multi-sensor technology to provide surgeons unmatched guidance and accuracy,” said Bram Schemers, CEO of Sirius Medical and inventor of the Pintuition system. “Pintuition is highly intuitive, and our TargetLOC feature provides additional visual feedback to the operator when the probe is perfectly aligned above the seed.”

“We are pleased to use Sirius Pintuition with GPSDetect for targeted soft tissue surgery. The updated software greatly improves localization in breast cancer surgery and is easier and more accurate to use,” said breast surgical oncologist Isabel Rubio, MD, of Clinica Universidad de Navarra (Spain). “We look forward to partnering with Sirius Medical to train more surgical oncologists on localization techniques for guided breast cancer surgery.”

Traditional methods for marking non-palpable breast lesions prior to surgery typically require wire localization or radioactive seeds inserted by a radiologist in a separate procedure. Localization wires are being phased out, as they protrude from the patient’s breast, requiring the patient to stay in a hospital environment. In addition, the protruding guide wires can easily move prior to surgery, thus requiring follow-up surgery in up to 55% of lumpectomy procedures.

Related Links:
Sirius Medical
Clinica Universidad de Navarra