High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) developer SonaCare Medical plans to launch its new Sonatherm HIFU surgical ablation system at the American Urology Association (AUA) annual meeting in San Diego being held May 4 to 8.
Sonatherm has 510(k) clearance for the laparoscopic or intraoperative ablation of soft tissue, the firm said. It is able to ablate a wide variety of soft tissues from the ultrasound focal point back to the surface of the targeted tissue.
The system consists of a portable console; two high-frequency, robotic, 11-mm laparoscopic probes for imaging and treatment; and a Sonachill device for water degassing and circulation. SonaCare claims positive clinical results in a number of published studies evaluating the ability of Sonatherm to deliver laparoscopic HIFU in soft tissues of the kidney.
At the AUA 2013 show, physicians will be able to plan treatments at a simulator workstation, as well as see prototypes of technology for the application of HIFU in bladder tissue. The company will also conduct demonstrations of its SmartTarget software for fusing prostate MRI and real-time ultrasound images.
