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Ascension to Introduce
Breakthrough Guidance Device
to European Medical Community
BURLINGTON, VERMONT; SEPTEMBER
13, 2004: Ascension
Technology will introduce
microBIRD,
a new 3D measurement device
that precisely tracks the
location of instruments inside
and outside the human body
at the premier Medical
Image Computing and Computer-Assisted
Intervention Conference (MICAAI)
-- in Saint-Malo, France,
September 26-30, 2004. microBIRD™
instantly measures the six
degrees-of-freedom location
of one or more sensors --
just 1.8 mm wide and smaller
-- for applications in medical
imaging.
Early adapters are already
using it for the following
purposes:
- Measuring the position
and orientation of objects
in real time
- Locating tips of instruments
in 3D space
- Guiding flexible tools,
such as scopes, to internal
targets
- Controlling catheters
in computer-assisted procedures
and robotics
In addition to its miniaturized
packaging, microBIRD is a
metal tolerant tracker without
line-of-sight restrictions
or radiation limitations.
Four years in the making,
it is particularly adept at
locating objects and instruments
in confined spaces, especially
the human body. In medical
imaging and minimally invasive
procedures, microBIRD allows
clinicians to combine imaging
modalities, such as CT, MRI
or ultrasound scans, with
exact knowledge of an instrument's
location referenced to visual
images. With microBIRD and
advanced imaging systems,
clinicians can literally "see"
inside the human body.
Recent advances in third-generation
pulsed-DC magnetic technology
enable microBIRD to operate
without error near conductive
metal, such as 300-series
stainless steel, which is
often found in medical environments.
A new family of magnetic field
transmitters and signal processing
techniques further overcomes
the effects of other types
of metals and cross coupling
errors that plague earlier
generation AC electromagnetic
tracking technologies.
microBIRD is designed primarily
for 3D localization and intrabody
navigation in medically approved
devices, compliant with all
regulatory standards. Ascension
works closely with researchers
and device manufacturers to
support regulatory requirements.
Ascension Technology Corporation,
based in Burlington, Vermont,
USA, is a world leader in
3D tracking solutions for
medical applications. More
information about Ascension
trackers is available at www.ascension-tech.com.
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