VIENNA - Philips Healthcare has received the CE Mark for expansion of the clinical applications possible with its Sonalleve MR-HIFU high-focused ultrasound system, the company announced at this week's European Congress of Radiology (ECR).
First developed as a treatment for uterine fibroids in women, Philips received the CE Mark this week for the use of Sonalleve MR-HIFU for palliative care of patients with bone metastases. These patients can develop significant pain in the late stages of their disease, and the current treatments, medication, and/or radiation therapy can produce side effects.
During Sonalleve procedures, ultrasound beams are focused onto a target volume inside the bone metastasis. Due to the energy focused at the bone surface, tissue temperature rises to 60° C, ablating metastatic tissue and the sensitive nerves around the bone. MRI is used for 3D planning of the procedure and also monitoring temperature during ablation and follow-up.
Philips began marketing the system in December 2009 for uterine fibroids, and has installed 22 systems worldwide. The company is also talking to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding a clinical trial that would be required for marketing in the U.S.
Among the other new product introductions at ECR, the company's Philips Speech Processing division is demonstrating digital dictation apps for the iPad and iPhone for its SpeechExec software. Physicians can dictate speech into an iPad or iPhone, and have it automatically routed to the correct transcriptionist.
