PITTSBURGH, July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG), the private/public partnership putting the region’s life sciences industry on a fast track for growth, announced that the PLSG has committed a $180,000 investment in Cartesia Dx (formerly doing business as Arthritis Imaging, Inc.) The company uses a unique combination of three-dimensional and thermal images to more accurately diagnose and track the progression of inflammation in patients.
The PLSG investment will support development and testing of a final device prototype of the Arthritis Imager(TM) and a software interface that will facilitate accurate and simple data collection and analysis.
Cartesia Dx is the first commercialized company based on technology developed and clinically tested at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Carnegie Mellon University’s Medical Robotics Institute and the University of Pittsburgh also have contributed technological expertise to the project.
“Cartesia Dx meets a market need for a more precise and consistent way to diagnose and plan treatment for inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, says John W. Manzetti, President and CEO of the PLSG. Mr. Manzetti continues, “There is a current decline in the number of board certified rheumatologists in the U.S. and if this trend continues, more than 70 million arthritis sufferers will have a substantial need for objective ways to monitor and predict their symptoms for optimum treatment of the disease.”
“Cartesia Dx has conducted pilot research that showed predictability and reproducibility when measuring volume, shape and temperature in the joint as it pertains to rheumatoid arthritis,” said Fred Marroni, Cartesia Dx CEO. Mr. Marroni continues, “The pilot study showed that the Cartesia Dx Arthritis Imager(TM) measurements were more reproducible than physical examinations when assessing the wrist and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints. We are encouraged by these initial results and look forward to using the PLSG investment for additional evaluation and refinement of our product and procedures.”
Compared with other imaging modalities, such as X-ray and MRI, the Cartesia Dx technology can be used in an office setting, poses no radiation risk, and can be performed in minutes. Since the technology quantifies assessment of swelling and warmth, its applicability may be expanded to other diseases that manifest themselves at skin surface, such as osteoarthritis, diabetes and skin cancers such as melanoma.
The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) invests in and supports the growth of regional life sciences companies in Southwestern Pennsylvania. PLSG has investment and business growth programs to increase the linkage between research, technology and commercialization; nurture and develop entrepreneurial life sciences enterprises; grow the region’s talent pool in the life sciences; and help life sciences firms locate, expand or start-up in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
CONTACT: Lynn Banaszak Brusco of Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse,+1-412-770-1353
Web site: http://www.plsg.com/
