Minimally invasive neurosurgical tool requires low levels of hospitalization and ICU usage
PLYMOUTH, Minn. – May 5, 2020 – Monteris Medical, the leader in image-guided laser interstitial thermotherapy (LITT), announced today that it has reached a significant milestone: surgeons have used the company’s minimally invasive NeuroBlate® System on more than 3,000 patients. Nearly all those patients have had epilepsy, gliomas, brain metastases and radiation necrosis.
“Patients appreciate the minimally-invasive nature of NeuroBlate,” said Dr. Stephan Schuele, chief of epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “They usually return home with a minimal hospital stay. It’s become an important tool in our kit for helping people with epilepsy and can make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Because NeuroBlate is minimally invasive, it can also lead to lower usage of hospital resources. Recent studies have shown post-surgical ICU utilization to be comparable or shorter than the ICU and hospital stays associated with open cranial surgery.
“We use image-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy to treat tumors in sensitive areas of the brain that otherwise would be extremely difficult to reach,” said Dr. Albert Kim, a neurosurgeon at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and first author of a recent prospective, multicenter study evaluating NeuroBlate in patients with brain tumors. “The minimally-invasive nature of this approach helps stabilize or improve quality of life in many patients, which is so important.”
The NeuroBlate System is the first-of-its kind minimally invasive, robotically controlled laser thermal therapy that uses MRI-guided laser light to ablate unwanted tissue in the brain where the lesion, or abnormal tissue, originates. The precise nature of the procedure helps to lessen the likelihood of harm to nearby healthy brain tissue.
“The recent accumulation of published literature on laser ablation has accelerated use of this approach dramatically,” said Martin J. Emerson, president and chief executive officer of Monteris Medical. “Clinical data on more than 2,500 patients has now been documented in peer-reviewed journals. This milestone is gratifying for us at Monteris, and we will continue to strive to make a difference for our physician customers and their patients.”
About Monteris® and the NeuroBlate® System
Monteris Medical is a privately held company that develops and markets innovative MRI-guided, laser-based systems to perform minimally invasive brain surgery, commonly referred to as “LITT” (Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy) or “SLA” (Stereotactic Laser Ablation). Current investors include Versant Ventures, SightLine Partners, Birchview Capital and BDC Capital. The Monteris NeuroBlate System is the only minimally invasive system that enables a robotic interface for the precise and safe delivery of laser energy. The NeuroBlate System is a tool and is not intended to treat any specific disease. Physicians should use their clinical judgment and experience when deciding whether to use NeuroBlate.
Media Contact:
Monteris Medical, Inc.
Todd Smalley
Chief Marketing Officer
763-746-4667
