Siemens Partners with Stereotaxis to Provide Increased Efficiency and
Productivity to Catheter-Based Medicine
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At the Cardiovascular
Therapeutics (TCT) Conference, September 24-28, 2002, Siemens Medical
Solutions, Inc. has unveiled the first digital imaging system that can work
with magnetic navigation systems for interventional medicine. The combination
of Siemens' AXIOM Artis dFC Magnetic Navigation Imaging System and
Stereotaxis' Magnetic Navigation Systems is expected to be uniquely capable of
helping cardiologists improve the ease and accuracy of catheter-based
procedures. A planned fully integrated, image-guided, computerized, magnetic
navigation and control system is the result of Siemens' exclusive partnership
with Stereotaxis, Inc., aimed at addressing problems associated with manual
catheter steering and positioning.
"Cardiac catheterization procedures are up more than 50 percent in the
past eight years," said Christos Kantemeridis, Artis dFC Magnetic Navigation
product manager, Siemens Medical Solutions. "Cardiologists need solutions
that are less invasive, easier to control and ultimately, more effective.
Catheter-based procedures performed manually today can be very difficult and
lengthy. This new method is designed to improve the efficiency and workflow
of the cath lab and enable new cardiac applications."
Siemens' combines its most advanced digital fluoroscopic imaging system,
the AXIOM Artis dFC Magnetic Navigation (Flat Panel Detector System), with
Stereotaxis' magnetic navigation technology. The result is a system designed
to remotely direct and digitally control catheter-based devices along complex
paths within the body. The magnetic-tipped catheter device is controlled by
magnets external to the body. This approach allows for 360-degree rotation of
the catheter and is anticipated to provide greater precision and better
movement than manual methods.
"I am confident that magnetic navigation during interventional cardiology
procedures will prove extremely helpful, especially in tortuous anatomy and
chronic total occlusions," said Gary L. Schaer, M.D. Director, Cardiac
Catheterization Laboratories at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in
Chicago, on his experience with magnetic navigation.
The expectations are to integrate advanced fluoroscopic technology with
remote catheter control, allowing the clinicians to better leverage the
imaging information to ensure the catheter is positioned properly, without
trial and error. The system fits into a standard cath lab room, and is
designed to allow clinicians to perform the majority of the procedures
remotely from the control room using a joystick. This addresses long-term
radiation exposure concerns of clinicians working day-to-day in the cath lab.
Magnetic navigation has been undergoing clinical trials at various sites
in the U.S., including Washington University's Barnes Jewish Hospital in St.
Louis, MO, Rush Presbyterian Hospital Chicago, and at the University of
Oklahoma.
"I think that in the future what we are going to see is robotic-type
devices in interventional cardiology" said Patrick Serruys, M.D., Ph.D.,
Professor of Cardiology at the Thorax Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands "I think
that, like the neurosurgeon and the surgeon, the interventional cardiologist
will be performing procedures using robotics."
Siemens Medical Solutions of Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), with headquarters in
Erlangen, Germany, is one of the largest suppliers to the healthcare industry
in the world. The company is renowned for its innovative products, including
imaging systems for diagnosis, therapy equipment for treatment, hearing
instruments, and critical care and life support systems, as well as a wide
array of information technology and data management solutions that optimize
workflow and increase efficiency in hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices.
The company is known as the premiere health information application service
provider processing more than 133 million transactions daily and managing more
than 67 terabytes of data -- twice the information volume of the Library of
Congress.
Employing approximately 30.000 people worldwide, the company reported
sales of 7.2 billion EUR, orders of 8.4 billion EUR and EBITA of 808 million
EUR in fiscal 2001 (September 30). More information can be obtained by
visiting us on the Web at http://www.siemensmedical.com .
Siemens AG, headquartered in Munich, is a leading global electronics and
engineering company. It employs some 450,000 in 193 countries, and reported
worldwide sales of more than $74 billion in fiscal 2001 (10/1/00 - 9/30/01).
The United States is Siemens' largest market, with nearly 80,000 employees and
sales of $18.9 billion for fiscal 2001. For more information about Siemens in
the U.S., visit http://www.usa.siemens.com .
* The Stereotaxis NIOBE magnetic navigation system is pending 510(k)
review from The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is not yet
commercially available in the U.S.
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Press releases issued are available on our web site at:
http://www.usa.siemens.com/press/
SOURCE Siemens Medical Solutions, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.usa.siemens.com
CONTACT:
Nicole Gagnon of Stern + Associates,
+1-908-276-4344, or nicole@sternassociates.com, for Siemens
Medical Solutions, Inc.
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