Monteris Medical (Plymouth, MN) has received FDA clearance for its NeuroBlate MRI-guided laser ablation system for the treatment of brain tumors and other lesions. The system allows for controlled, 3-dimensional ablation of lesions, as well as providing post-procedure confirmation of the effects of the thermal therapy using MRI. It is the successor to the company’s AutoLITT system, which was released several years ago.
The NeuroBlate probe is a small, CO2-cooled side-firing fiber optic probe which can be used in conjunction with a standard 1.5 Tesla MRI system. The software provides MRI-based trajectory planning assistance for the stereotaxic placement of the probe, which is positioned through a transcranial burr hole, directly at the location of the tumor. The laser is then used to laterally heat up and burn away tumor tissue while cooling the environment on the opposite side of the laser’s direction, thereby preventing surrounding tissue from being damaged. Laser bursts last from 30 seconds up to several minutes, and heat up tissue to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius). Using MR thermography, the MRI data is used to monitor the temperature for real-time monitoring of the procedure and visualization of the results.
Flashback: MRI Assisted Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Brain Tumor Treatment
Press release: Monteris Medical’s NeuroBlate System Receives 510(k) Clearance…
Product page: NeuroBlate System…