Software for Cryoablation Cleared by FDA

A software-controlled ultrasound planning and mapping system used for cryoablation has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The system, called CryoGuide, is designed to allow a surgeon to visualize the target tissue in three dimensions, thereby facilitating more precise placement of the probes used to freeze and destroy tissue.

Targeted cryoablation, a procedure developed by Endocare, Inc. (Irvine, CA, USA) is the use of extreme cold in combination with ultrasound and temperature monitoring to destroy cancer cells. Argon gas, contained in the tip of the cryoprobe, freezes tissue at -40o C and destroys the cancer. The procedure is being used to treat prostate cancer, and similar integrated systems are in development for use in treating kidney, breast, and liver cancer.

"Cryosurgery continues to be an excellent option for many men who suffer from prostate and other forms of cancer, and the additional precision made possible by this visualization technology should lead to even better outcomes,” said Aaron Katz, M.D., assistant professor of urology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center (NY, NY, USA).



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