EDAP TMS, a company based in Lyon, France, landed FDA clearance to introduce its Ablatherm HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) device for prostate tissue ablation. The device, already approved in Europe, features a probe that has both imaging and treatment transducers, allowing for planning and ablation in one quick procedure.
Following local or general anesthesia, the 7.5 MHz transducer on the probe creates a volumetric image of the prostate which the physician uses to create a treatment plan. Once ready, the robotic probe becomes autonomous, moving around and ablating tissue targeted in the plan by raising its temperature to around 185° F (85° C). It has built-in safety features, such as stopping in response any movements of the patient, detecting the rectal wall, and delivering rectal cooling.
The treatment is intended for patients for whom traditional surgery is a poor option or that choose to avoid surgery, as well as for some of those that have recurrent cancer following radiotherapy.
Here’s a promo video for the Ablatherm HIFU:
Product page: Ablatherm HIFU…
Source: EDAP…
