HistoSonics Inc.

Article preview from Start Up - September, 2010

Men who suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia could soon have an alternative to surgery, if all goes well for HistoSonics Inc. The company is developing the Histotripsy system, an image-guided, robotic-manipulated procedure that uses ultrasound to excise and mechanically homogenize tissue without heat. HistoSonics believes its noninvasive office-based treatment option will be fast, effective, and cause fewer adverse effects than existing BPH treatments.

HistoSonics Inc.

Article preview from Start Up - September, 2010

Older men with an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), could soon have a non-invasive, office-based treatment option, if all goes well for HistoSonics Inc. The company is developing the Histrotripsy system, an image-guided, robotic-manipulated procedure that uses ultrasound to excise and mechanically homogenize tissue without heat.

Unlike the two most popular surgical modalities for treating BPH – transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and green light laser – which both require general anesthesia and are performed in the OR, the Histotripsy system is completely non-invasive and associated with significantly fewer complications.

"This is game-changing technology; no longer will men need to undergo invasive surgery," says HistoSonics Chairman and CEO Thomas Davison. Based on the nearly 400,000 men in the US who are treated surgically each year for BPH, the firm estimates the market potential for consumables alone to be in the range of $300 to $400 million.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, HistoSonics was founded in December 2009 to commercialize technology acquired from the University of Michigan. The principal architect is Charles Cain, a professor of biomedical engineering at the university, who has researched therapeutic ultrasound for over 20 years. Several years ago, Cain came to the conclusion that the thermal treatment modalities in use at the time, including high-intensity focused ultrasound, were ineffective in treating a host of conditions, including BPH, because of the thermal injury sustained and the uncontrolled nature of treatment. "The practitioner is also unable to see what he is doing," Davison says.

Purchase this article online or get it FREE when you subscribe to Start Up

Companies mentioned in this article:

HistoSonics Inc.

University of Michigan

Elsevier Business Intelligence announces the publication of a new Special Report "Bigger, Tougher,Faster"- Preparing for the New FDA. When the inspector comes calling ... will you be ready?

This 16-page report originally published in "The Silver Sheet". Learn more... 
About Start Up

No publication reviews leading edge companies and technology better than START-UP. Each issue of START-UP profiles the most important new product companies, identifies the hottest technology areas, reviews funds flowing into private companies and investment trends, and reports on university tech transfer licensing. Industries covered: pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical equipment & devices, and in vitro diagnostics.

Plus:
To find out about more about more about Elsevier Business Intelligence's medical device publications and databases, multi-user access and/or advertising with Medical Devices Today, please contact Kristy Kennedy at (480) 985 9512