Ultrasound vendor Esaote has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market and sell its Virtual Navigator ultrasound fusion imaging software.
Virtual Navigator fuses real-time ultrasound images with MR, CT, PET, or 3D ultrasound. It is useful for liver and other abdominal interventions, as well as gynecologic, musculoskeletal, obstetric, urologic, peripheral vascular, and transcranial radiologic exams, Esaote said.
Key features of Virtual Navigator include the following:
- Fast image registration, using either single reference point or anatomical marker techniques
- Intelligent positioning, which acts like a GPS system to track movement of the probe as it is guided to the clinical target
- Virtual biopsy, which superimposes needle tracking on real-time images to help the operator during interventional procedures
- Motion sensor technology, which automatically compensates for patient movement as it maintains image registration
Virtual Navigator is available in basic, advanced, and extended versions, and it's configurable and upgradable, Esaote said.
The software is cleared for use with Esaote's MyLab Twice ultrasound scanner, according to the company. It is intended to support clinical radiological ultrasound exams and follow percutaneous procedures by providing additional information from a second imaging modality.
Virtual Navigator works with a wide selection of transducers, the firm added.
