Nov. 29, 2010 (Canada NewsWire Group) --
-- 3T system to be installed at NIH-funded clinical and research facility --
WINNIPEG, Nov. 29 /CNW/ - (NASDAQ: IMRS; TSX: IM) -- IMRIS Inc. ("IMRIS"
or the "Company") today announced the sale of IMRISneuro to
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center ("DHMC") in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
IMRISneuro is a fully integrated multi-operating room system that
features on-demand intraoperative MR imaging capabilities, designed to
assist surgeons in improving outcomes for patients who are undergoing
neurosurgical procedures such as tumor removal.
The system at DHMC is anticipated to be installed at the Dartmouth
Advanced Surgical Center (ASC) and will be used for in both clinical
and research applications. DHMC anticipates immediate clinical benefit
as imaging modalities are used during the course of orthopaedic or
neurosurgical procedures, to assess the successful completion. In
addition, DHMC anticipates significant research opportunities, both for
current as well as for future faculty. The impetus for the project
stems from a $9.3 million National Institutes of Health grant award for
the ASC; other support for the project is anticipated from Dartmouth
Medical School and the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
College, as well as from DHMC.
"Precision surgery will increasingly rely on real-time three-dimensional
imaging," said Sohail K. Mirza, MD, MPH, chair of orthopaedics at
Dartmouth-Hitchcock, "This valuable investment will put
Dartmouth-Hitchcock in a unique position: to create the only research
facility of its kind in the country that allows MRI and CT imaging to
be performed during surgery without moving the patient."
Dartmouth-Hitchcock is already a national leader in areas such as spine
outcomes research. "We can leverage that to measure outcomes of this
technology and develop new, safer methods to achieve clinical success,"
said Dr. Mirza.
Keith Paulsen, PhD, director of the Dartmouth Advanced Imaging Center,
which will be located adjacent to the ASC, added, "This is a wonderful
example of the integration of advanced imaging tools within
state-of-the-art surgical facilities that will open up a wealth of
opportunities to transform clinical research and patient care in the
region and beyond"
The hospital's new IMRISneuro system features a 3 Tesla MR scanner
operating in a fully integrated suite that includes two separate
operating rooms for neurosurgery and orthopaedics as well as a
diagnostic centre. The MR scanner can be deployed into any of the three
rooms, providing high resolution MR images on demand - before, during
and after procedures. IMRISneuro is the only system of its kind that
does not require the patient to be moved at all for scanning, so the
optimum patient positioning is always maintained. Clinical workflow and
access to the patient is not impacted as the MR scanner enters the
operating suite and is then removed completely from the operating room
when imaging is complete. This ensures a high degree of safety for the
patient and preserves the ideal surgical environment.
About Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Dartmouth-Hitchcock is a national leader in evidence-based and
patient-centered health care. The system includes hundreds of
physicians, specialists, and other providers who work together at
different locations to meet the health care needs of patients in
northern New England. In addition to primary care services at local
community practices, Dartmouth-Hitchcock patients have access to
specialists in almost every area of medicine, as well as world-class
research at Dartmouth Medical School and centers such as the Dartmouth
Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice (TDI).
About IMRIS
IMRIS (NASDAQ: IMRS; TSX: IM) is a global leader in providing image guided therapy solutions. These solutions feature fully integrated surgical and interventional suites that incorporate magnetic resonance, fluoroscopy and computed tomography to deliver on demand imaging during procedures. The Company's systems serve the neurosurgical, cardiovascular and neurovascular markets and have been selected by leading medical institutions around the world.
Brad Woods
Director Investor Relations
& Corporate Communications
IMRIS Inc.
Tel: 204-480-7094
Email: bwoods@imris.com
