SAN DIEGO, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Naviscan PET Systems Inc., a privately held company that manufactures and develops high-resolution PET scanners launched its second generation of PEM devices, the PEM Flex(TM) Solo II at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, IL.
PEM Flex Solo II is the first commercially available FDA-cleared, organ- specific, high- resolution PET scanner. Solo II is intended for use as an adjunct imaging modality and utilizes Positron Emission Mammography (PEM). PEM is a specialized form of PET technology that provides radiologists, breast surgeons, oncologists and nuclear medicine a new tool to image and characterize the scope of the disease at a metabolic rate.
Photonics improvements in the new Solo II yields higher count rate sensitivity while maintaining resolution capabilities that image cancers as small as 1.5 - 2.0mm, unprecedented in any other modality. The Solo II has also added an articulating arm, a motorized C-arm, and compression capability, enabling technologists to more easily position patients for optimal views and improved chest wall access.
In addition to its superior resolution capabilities, studies have shown the PEM Flex system has demonstrated sensitivity and specificity greater than 90% for characterizing suspicious lesions. The system has a positive predictive value of 92%.
Dr. Judy Kalinyak, MD, PhD, internist, endocrinologist, and nuclear medicine specialist, recently joined Naviscan as Medical Director. “We are very excited about the clinical trials with PEM in 2007. I believe it will change how we screen and diagnose breast cancer, specifically in the in situ stage, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.”
Also featured at the RSNA is PEMView, a companion image viewing and interpretation software. PEMView incorporates user-configurable image analysis tools as well as an embedded lexicon for effortless, standardized report generation. PEMView is the first of its kind web-based system allowing for flexible workflow options.
Dr. Kathy Schilling MD, Medical Director of Breast Imaging and Intervention at the Center for Breast Care at the Boca Raton Community Hospital in Florida is currently using the PEM Flex system to compare breast PEM to breast MRI and whole body PET in the pre-op staging of patients with recently diagnosed invasive or non-invasive breast cancer. “PEM technology has been highly successful in identifying additional disease in the same and opposite breast and provides excellent sensitivity, improved specificity and ease of interpretation for the physician,” explained Dr. Schilling.
For more information, please visit our website at www.naviscanpet.com or contact:
Tom Watlington Sherri Antoniak President Vice President, Corporate Development Naviscan PET Systems, Inc. Naviscan PET Systems, Inc. 858-587-3641 ext. 104 858-587-3641 ext. 113 About Naviscan PET Systems, Inc.
Naviscan PET Systems, founded in 1995, develops and markets compact, high-resolution PET scanners and molecular agents used for high-resolution imaging. These products are designed to help physicians and researchers diagnose and locate cancer, guide interventions, and advance new clinical therapies. The Company is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Naviscan PET Systems Inc.
CONTACT: Tom Watlington, President, ext. 104, or Sherri Antoniak, VicePresident, Corporate Development, ext. 113, both of Naviscan PET Systems,Inc., +1-858-587-3641
Web site: http://www.naviscanpet.com/
