Article preview from Start-Up - February 2011
Over the past 20 years, the diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma - the most common form of esophageal cancer - has doubled in the US and now stands at roughly 16,500 new cases each year. This dramatic increase is believed to be related to an increased incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity.
Article preview from Start-Up - February 2011
Physicians agree that to slow the increase in this deadly cancer, detection at its earliest stages is critical. Unfortunately, the standard tools available to do this are less than ideal. NinePoint Medical has developed technology designed to detect precursors to esophageal cancer in real time, in vivo, using near-infrared light and complex computing algorithms.
Over the past 20 years, the diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma – the most common form of esophageal cancer – has doubled in the US and now stands at roughly 16,500 new cases each year. This dramatic increase is believed to be related to an increased incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity. Physicians agree that to slow the increase in this deadly cancer, detection at its earliest stages is critical. Unfortunately, the standard tools available to do this are less than ideal. Current standard-of-care is the use of a white-light upper endoscopy to assess the surface of the esophagus, during which multiple random biopsies are taken in an attempt to pinpoint the abnormal areas. Following this diagnostic procedure, the physician and patient must wait several weeks for the pathology results, at which time appropriate treatment will be determined.
NinePoint Medical Inc. has developed technology designed to detect precursors to esophageal cancer in real time, in vivo, using near-infrared light and complex computing algorithms. Its Nvision system may shorten – and ultimately eliminate – the delays between access, diagnosis and treatment. "The first iteration of our device will enable optical guidance through an endoscope, to identify the areas of suspicion that should be targeted for biopsy. In this way, we can eradicate the randomness of the biopsies, while improving their accuracy and utility," says Charles Carignan, NinePoint Medical's president and CEO. Future products may enable pathologists access in real time while "looking at the images, which would provide information that is immediately and clinically actionable. This telepathology model is focused on eliminating, or minimizing the use of, tissue biopsies all together."
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