Tuesday, May 24, 2005

BÂRRX Halo360 System

Filed under: GI

Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition that develops at the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The change in cellular composition of the lining of the esophagus results from a chronic exposure to refluxing gastric contents (gastroesophageal reflux disease). BÂRRX Medical, Inc. is reporting positive results of four studies evaluating the safety, dosage response, and efficacy of treating Barrett's esophagus with its Halo360 system.

The company describes the system:

The BÂRRX Medical Halo360 system provides uniform and controlled ablative therapy at a consistent depth to remove the layer of the diseased esophageal tissue allowing replacement by normal cells. The procedure, which in clinical studies had a median procedure time of 26 minutes, is performed without incisions using conscious sedation in an out-patient setting. First, a physician uses a Halo360 sizing balloon catheter to dilate the esophagus and determine its inner diameter. A correctly sized ablation catheter is then inflated within the diseased area of the esophagus. The Halo360 energy generator is activated to deliver a rapid (less than one second) burst of ablative energy, which removes a very thin (less than one millimeter) layer of the diseased esophagus. Controlled delivery of energy avoids injury to normal, healthy underlying tissues. New healthy tissue replaces the ablated Barrett's tissue in three to four weeks for most patients, according to trial results. Minor discomfort, which may be experienced by some patients, has been managed in the trials with medication. Following ablation therapy, patients resume acid suppression therapy.

And here is the latest related research from the University of Oxford: Researchers discover genetic trigger that plays a key role in cancer of the oesophagus.

More at BÂRRX Medical (procedure videos, info)...

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