Dr. Yamamoto to provide guidance for global market development.
SUNNYVALE, Calif. and TOCHIGI, Japan, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Avantis Medical Systems, Inc., a technology leader in developing novel chip-on-catheter digital imaging devices, today announced the addition of Hironori Yamamoto, MD, PhD, of Jichi Medical University to the company's Scientific Advisory Board.
"We are privileged that Dr. Yamamoto has elected to join Avantis Medical's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Yamamoto is a renowned gastroenterologist with over 25 years of clinical experience. He will provide us with insight to facilitate global market adoption of the Third Eye(R) Retroscope(R)," said Scott Dodson, president & CEO of Avantis Medical. "Having another internationally acclaimed gastroenterologist join our Scientific Advisory Board is indicative of the excitement in the worldwide gastroenterology community for the demonstrated clinical utility of the Third Eye Retroscope."
Dr. Yamamoto is the chairman and chief of the Department of Endoscopic Research and International Education at Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan. He also serves as professor in the Department of Medicine at the University and as the Director of the Endoscopy Center of Jichi Medical University Hospital. Dr. Yamamoto received his MD from Jichi Medical University, and completed post-graduate clinical training in the Kochi Central Hospital. Additionally, he trained in the U.S. at Beth Israel Medical Center (New York, NY), the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and the University of Texas Southwestern (Dallas, TX). He has served on the Boards of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society and the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology and is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association. Dr. Yamamoto is widely-published on medical endoscopy and is currently an associate editor of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the official journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
"The prevalence of colorectal cancer is increasing rapidly in Japan. The number of cancer deaths due to colorectal cancer has already exceeded gastric cancer. It is the most frequent cause of death in the female population. If we can detect cancers or pre-cancerous lesions at an early stage, cancer deaths can be prevented by performing endoscopic resection," said Dr. Yamamoto. "We have a special need for cost-effective preventive medicine technologies such as the Third Eye Retroscope. I look forward to becoming involved with the scientific and clinical aspects of this device, and hope one day to be able to offer it to my patients in Japan."
Colonoscopy is widely regarded as the "gold standard" for detection of abnormalities in the colon. However, research has revealed that 12-24 percent of polyps and a significant number of cancers can be missed during colonoscopy.(1)(2)(3)
A recent multi-center study led by Dr. Jerome Waye of Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York demonstrated that use of the Third Eye Retroscope improved the detection of polyps by 13.0% compared to the colonoscope alone.(4) Another recent study involving more than 10,000 cancer patients showed that standard colonoscopy missed many more polyps and cancers in the right-side of the colon than in the left side.(5) In the Waye study, the Third Eye was shown to be equally effective in detecting polyps on both the right-side and the left-side of the colon, when compared to the colonoscope alone.(6)
The Third Eye Retroscope is indicated for use with colonoscopy to provide the physician with an additional view of the colon for diagnostic and detection purposes. When the Third Eye is deployed through the instrument channel of a standard colonoscope, it provides the physician with a retrograde view of the colon along with the forward (colonoscope) view. Operating as a "rear view mirror" the Third Eye helps visualize blind spots in the colon that may not be seen with the colonoscope alone. The device is commercially available to physicians who perform colonoscopies.
About Avantis Medical Systems, Inc. and Third Eye(R) Retroscope(R)
Avantis Medical Systems, Inc. is focused on delivering cost effective solutions for improved detection and prevention of cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The company's FDA cleared, CE Marked, Third Eye Retroscope is a novel, disposable, chip-on-catheter digital imaging device, designed to complement visualization provided by most standard colonoscopes for detection of cancer in the colon.
The "chip-on-catheter" platform of the Third Eye Retroscope is also the basis for other products under development by Avantis Medical to screen, assess and treat cancers throughout the body. Avantis Medical has an extensive portfolio of patents covering innovative devices based on the convergent technologies of micro-chips, enhanced video processing and catheter based delivery systems. For more information, visit www.avantismedical.com or www.getthirdeye.com.
(1) Pickhardt, P.J.; Nugent, P.A.; Mysliwiec, P.A.; et al. Location of adenomas missed by optical colonoscopy. Annals of Internal Medicine 141(5):352-360, 2004.
(2) Pabby, A.; Schoen, R.E.; Weissfeld, J.L.; et al. Analysis of colorectal cancer occurrence during surveillance colonoscopy in the dietary Polyp Prevention Trial. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 61(3):385-391, 2005.
(3) Rex, D.K.; Cutler, C.S.; Lemmel, G.T.; et al. Colonoscopic miss rates of adenomas determined by back-to-back colonoscopies. Gastroenterology 112(1):24-28, 1997.
(4) Waye, J.D.; Rex, D.K.; et al. The Third Eye Retroscope Auxiliary Endoscopy System Improves Detection of Polyps in the Colon - A Prospective Efficacy Evaluation. Endoscopy Supplement No. I(40): A24, OP1111, 2008.
(5) Baxter, N.N.; Goldwasser, M.A.; Paszat, L.F.; Saskin, R.; Urbach, D.R.; Rabeneck, L. To evaluate the association between colonoscopy and CRC deaths. Annals of Internal Medicine 150:1-8, 2009.
(6) Study on file with Avantis Medical Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: Jennifer Havlek of Avantis Medical Systems, Inc.,
+1-408-636-7200, jhavlek@avantismedical.com; or Angelyn Lowe of Chase
Communications, +1-858-273-1805, alowe@chasepr.com, for Avantis Medical
Systems, Inc.
Web site: http://www.avantismedical.com/
