Novadaq Technologies Inc. announced that it will launch the PINPOINT endoscopic imaging system designed to not only perform white light bronchoscopy, but also the more clinically relevant imaging such as autofluorescence and narrow band Imaging, at the Annual Meeting of American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), CHEST 2007, to be held in Chicago, IL, Oct. 22 to Oct. 25, 2007.
Protected by a portfolio of registered patents, PINPOINT does not require the administration of any contrast agent, but instead utilizes the fluorescence signal from the naturally occurring fluorophors in lung tissue to assist doctors in localizing pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions. It is expected that surgeons and specialists would use these enhanced Imaging capabilities to plan and deliver minimally invasive treatments such as, PDT or Cryotherapy.
Many studies have reportedly shown autofluorescence to be more effective in the detection and localization of central airway cancers than conventional white light bronchoscopy. The ACCP Evidence Based Practice Guidelines now recommend the use of autofluorescence bronchoscopy for the localization of certain lung cancers, for guiding endoluminal therapies, and as a surveillance tool in patients with pre-invasive disease.