Ascension will be showing its latest advances in 3D navigation and localization of medical instruments — including guidewires — at the annual Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Conference in San Francisco, March 25-28, 2012.
For more information about SIR, visit SIR 2012
If you would like to arrange a visit with Ascension reps at SIR, contact Trish Scott, tscott@ascension-tech.com
Ascension President Ernie Blood (fourth from left) joins Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss, John Tracy, state director for U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, and other dignitaries in dedicating the Champlain 400 Time Capsule at the Burlington Waterfront February 3, 2012. The capsule, to be opened in the year 2106, contains mementos from the 2009 Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration, as well as contributions from many Vermont businesses and artists. Included is a one-page document from Ascension, describing the company’s history and highlighting the impact its magnetic sensors have had on minimally invasive surgery in the 21st Century.
Ascension President Ernie Blood with Nancy Bove, special events coordinator for the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department who coordinated the time capsule project.
Ascension Technology is one of several companies and organizations who sponsored the time capsule monument.
Ascension Technology Corporation is sponsoring the Champlain 400 Time Capsule. The Dedication Ceremony will take place at 1:00 pm on February 3, 2012, in the atrium at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, 60 Lake Street, Burlington, VT 05401. Please read our Media Release: Champlain 400 Time Capsule
Ascension partnered with ultrasound equipment manufacturers, Siemens and Ultrasonix, in its booth at the recent Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual conference in Chicago. With over 40,000 physicians and medical professionals in attendance, it proved to be one of the largest venues ever for Ascension’s 3D navigation, guidance, and localization devices.
Here is a short video highlighting Ascension’s presence at RSNA 2011 along with an overview of Ultrasonix’s new SonixTablet GPS system for “point-of-care “interventional procedures. Ascension and Ultrasonix at RSNA 2011.
Ascension trackers measure the position (X, Y, Z) and orientation (Yaw, Pitch and/or Roll) of one or more miniaturized sensors in 3D space. These measurements track the real-time motion of medical instruments and devices for localization, navigation and targeting purposes.
3D magnetic tracking has come of age for image-guided medical procedures. In ultrasound diagnostic and interventional procedures, an Ascension 3D sensor is attached to (or inserted within) an ultrasound probe for freehand data acquisition while a second sub-millimeter sensor is inserted in the tip of a medical instrument, such as a biopsy needle or an ablation probe. Knowing the absolute location of each instrument enables physicians to “see through the skin” for volumetric measurements, fusion of ultrasound with pre-acquired CT, PET, MR images, and percutaneous biopsy/ablation of lesions.
Here’s a YouTube video that shows how sensors are used in conjunction with ultrasound imaging to improve common medical procedures: Biopsy Needle Guidance
Today there are several generations of trackers on the market. These range from 1st generation AC electromagnetic technology, first patented by Polhemus Inc. in the 1970s, and later improved by Polhemus and medical device companies, including Biosense, GE, Medtronic, MediGuide, NDI, and SuperDimension; 2nd generation trackers patented by Ascension in the 1990s that employ pulsed DC magnetic technology; and now 3rd generation DC magnetic technology, also patented by Ascension. 3D Guidance technology offers the latest improvements and innovations in magnetic tracking technology.
First generation AC trackers are susceptible to distorted measurements in the presence of common metals, such as carbon steel, aluminum, and even stainless steel.
Second generation DC trackers exhibit 1/5 the sensitivity to non-magnetic conductive metal as their earlier counterparts. As a result, their sensors were often attached to ultrasound probes, titanium instruments, and non-magnetic stainless steel objects without discernable loss of accuracy. However, these sensors contained fluxgates that limited sensor size to 5 mm in diameter, were subject to ferrous metal distortion, and were too complex to achieve truly low cost.
Third generation DC magnetic tracking represents the state-of-the-art in real-time tracking. It includes six degrees-of-freedom sensors as small as 0.55 mm in diameter, low cost disposable sensor, special transmitters that block distortions emanating below the tracking volume, and advanced processing and calibration techniques for robust performance in all kinds of environments.
Ascension Technology has contributed an entry to Burlington, Vermont’s upcoming Time Capsule – “Champlain 400.”
Click here to read our entry: “Little Vermont Company Makes Big Impact in 21st Century Medicine.”
Burlington officials elected to include an item from Ascension in recognition of its breakthrough advancements in the field of minimally invasive medical procedures. Ascension makes micro-miniaturized magnetic sensors for guiding medical instruments to lesions and anomalies insider a patient’s body.
Ascension Technology Corp and Ultrasonix have partnered to develop tools that permit ultrasound image guidance in real time
Ascension has launched a new line of disposable sensors that Ultrasonix (www.ultrasonix.com) has integrated into interventional instruments for use with its newest compact ultrasound platform, the SonixTablet and SonixGPS. The integration allows ultrasound-sensor biopsy and vascular access needle guidance – both in and out of plane.
These newest advancement in image-guided procedures are highlighted in the latest issue of on-line magazine Ultrasound 24×7 (See http://ultrasound.24x7mag.com/)
ULTRASONIX’S mobile SonixTablet with a GPS positioning option mount for an Ascension magnetic field transmitter. The system includes an Ascension driveBAY tracker for freehand guidance of interventional devices.
Ascension OEM, Ultrasonix Medical Corporation has been awarded the prestigious Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation award for its SonixGPS needle guidance technology. The award is presented annually to the company that demonstrates “uniqueness in developing a technology that significantly impacts both the functionality and customer value of new products and applications.”
The citation applauds Ultrasonix’s use of Ascension sensors for probe localizatiion and small needle navigation to internal targets.
This week will will be showing our newest trackers at the Annual RSNA Conference to over 40,000 attendees.
