Novadaq Technologies Inc., an Ontario, Canada-based company, is reporting that its Spy system and other company technologies, such as real-time autofluorescence bronchoscopy, were discussed at an educational program for cardiothoracic surgeons during the ongoing 44th Annual Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. SPY is an imaging system for intra-operative fluorescence vascular angiography, designed to confirm the patency of grafts during coronary artery bypass grafting, and to assess the coronary vasculature to confirm the location of target vessels.
Here’s what the company says about the presentation mentioned above:
Dr. Patrick Ross stressed the clinical importance of using autofluorescence imaging to provide guidance during endoluminal and traditional surgical treatments for lung cancer. Dr. Ross reported the use of real-time autofluorescence bronchoscopy, compared to the gold standard white light bronchoscopy, provides for a more detailed assessment of the patient’s anatomy before pulmonary resection, a more accurate assessment for the presence of early lung cancers and the ability to more precisely perform endoluminal therapies such as Photodynamic Therapy. Dr. Ross also reminded the cardiothoracic surgeon audience that autofluorescence bronchoscopy is now recommended in the 2008 American College of Chest Physicians Evidence Based Practice Guidelines for use in detecting cancerous lesions and for guiding surgical treatments in patients with lung cancer.
Professor Taggart reported his clinical experience using the SPY Intra-operative Imaging System to optimize the clinical outcomes of his coronary artery bypass procedures, which have been previously published in the literature and confirm the need for intra-operative graft assessment. Professor Taggart’s presented clinical results of studies he has performed using SPY. Data reported by others indicating that as many as 30% of all vein grafts may be closed at 1 year post bypass were also included. Professor Taggart stressed that coronary artery disease has become more complex, making coronary artery bypass surgery more technically demanding, which further increases the need for real-time assessment of graft quality. Professor Taggart reported on studies of the clinical utility of available technologies for graft assessment, including a report by Nimesh Desai, MD., et.al, published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in 2006. The randomized study compared SPY and the Transit Time Flow Meter, the two most commonly used tools, to the gold standard x-ray angiography. In the study of 139 bypass grafts, SPY was found to result in 83% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to 25% and 94% respectively for the Transit Time Flow Meter.
To learn more about the Spy and real-time autofluorescence bronchoscopy, head on to company’s website…
Product page: SPY Imaging System …
Spy system’s real-time images …
Press release: Novadaq Data Presented at 2008 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Meeting …