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December 31,
2002
Year-end Bulletin
Ascension Technology Corporation
reports closing the year 2002
with a strong showing in all
our markets and with bright
prospects for the new year.
Having launched three new
trackers in 2002, the company
now offers 14 trackers, employing
magnetic, optical and inertial
technologies to provide the
correct tracking solution
for a given application. Because
of the diversity, Ascension's
customers worldwide have come
to regard the company as the
one-stop shopping center for
motion tracking devices. Market
share growth in the medical
and simulation markets for
real-time tracking were strongest
in what has proven to have
been a down market for many
motion tracking companies.
Ascension attributes its strong
showing to its high speed
(240Hz), high-resolution laserBIRD
in the simulation and training
market, and to its family
of DC magnetic trackers now
employed in numerous medical
applications.
December 2,
2002
miniBIRD Sensors
Power Image-guided Procedures
at RSNA
Ascension partners, including
Cedara Software Corp. and
UltraGuide Inc. demonstrated
magnetically guided-imaging
systems this week at the world's
largest gathering of medical
imaging companies and radiologists,
the 2002 Radiological Society
of North America Conference
in Chicago.
The combination of miniaturized
magnetic sensors with imaging
systems, lets clinicians follow
a real-time graphic display
of the current and projected
position of interventional
tools onto real-time ultrasound
or recently acquired CT images.
Using it, clinicians can quickly
and precisely guide biopsy
needles or ablation tools
to soft-tissue lesions within
the human body. The risk of
hitting delicate, adjacent
anatomy is also minimized.
Magnetically guided intervention
shortens procedures through
pre-visualization of target
trajectory and single needle
insertion. When used with
CT imaging, it reduces radiation
exposure by minimizing the
number of verification CT
scans. In CT procedures, a
spare position/orientation
measurement sensor is placed
on the patient so that the
true anatomical position of
the target can be continuously
monitored during insertion.
Ascension's new pciBIRD is
the choice for such imaging
procedures. It offers highly
accurate tracking of multiple
miniaturized sensors without
performance loss due to the
presence of nearby conductive
metals.
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November
11, 2002
Ascension Launches
Redesigned Web site
Ascension technology Corp.
unveiled our new web site
today as part of a company-wide
initiative to respond to our
customers needs for high performance,
state-of-the-art motion tracking
solutions. The new web site
provides a way for OEMs and
motion tracking users to easily
access information about our
products and their diverse
applications.
The renovation includes not
only a bold new look for the
site, but a re-organization
of material as well. Visitors
can access product specifications,
integrated systems, company
news, application information,
a bibliography of relevant
articles and user "success
story" profiles. Customer
support features include contact
information along with downloadable
programs and technical manuals.
October 28, 2002
Ascension Named Vermont's
2002 Small Business Innovator
of the Year
Ascension Technology Corp
has been named "Vermont's
2002 Small Business Innovator
of the Year" for its
successful development of
novel magnetic and optical
tracking devices. Steve Patterson,
Secretary of the Vermont Agency
of Commerce and Community
Development, presented the
award at the National SBIR
Conference's "Celebrate
Vermont Innovation" reception.
October 11, 2002
MiniBIRD 500 Price
Lowered
The miniBIRD 500 is used for
highly accurate tracking in
computer-aided surgery, medical
training simulators and biomedical
studies. Lower costs due to
streamlining the sensor production
process allow Ascension to
now offer the Model 500 for
the same price as the Model
800: $3995.
March 4, 2002
New Enhanced pciBIRD
Now Supports Multiple Sensors
pciBIRD has undergone substantial
enhancement. Accuracy has
increased to within one millimeter;
short-range applications will
see sub-millimeter accuracy.
Now, pciBIRD can support up
to four Standard or 8mm sensors
on two cards.
February 19, 2002
Ascension Joins
CIMIT
We are pleased to announce
acceptance into the Center
for Integration of Medicine
and Innovative Technology
(CIMIT). Based in Boston,
MA, CIMIT is a non-profit
consortium of academic and
research institutions founded
by Partners HealthCare System,
Massachusetts General Hospital,
Brigham and Women’s
Hospital, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and Draper Laboratory.
CIMIT’s mission is to
improve patient care by bringing
together scientists, engineers
and clinicians from academia
and industry to catalyze development
of innovative technology,
emphasizing minimally invasive
diagnosis and therapy.
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