Thursday, August 31, 2017
SonaCare Medical, the leading developer and manufacturer of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies, announces today the successful collaboration with BK Ultrasound, achieving compatibility between bkFusion and Sonablate® planning software for the ablation of prostate tissue.
Earlier this year, BK Ultrasound, powered by Analogic, introduced bkFusion, an MRI-fusion imaging software which integrates fully into both its bk3000 and bk5000 premium ultrasound systems. To develop bkFusion, BK Ultrasound partnered with MIM Software Inc., a world leader in the development and deployment of medical imaging and analysis software applications in the Radiology and Radiation Oncology fields. This innovative software builds on MIM's unique Predictive Fusion technology that enables urologists to biopsy MRI-defined targets in the prostate precisely.
During a focused ultrasound prostate ablation therapy, Sonablate uses bkFusion to fuse annotated MRI data with intraoperative ultrasound images. The incorporation of MRI imaging into the HIFU ablation treatment planning process enhances Sonablate's ability to precisely target specific regions within the prostate gland identified for ablation.
"We were pleased to build on our partnership with MIM Software Inc. by developing additionally a collaboration with BK Ultrasound," comments SonaCare Medical CEO, Dr. Mark Carol. "The addition of bkFusion to our portfolio of fusion integration options is further demonstration of SonaCare Medical's commitment to serve better our community of doctors and hospitals who want to make the most of their ultrasound platform investment. Collaborating with targeted biopsy vendors who are the best in their field allows us to combine their expertise in fusion with our leading HIFU technology in order to offer the most precise prostate ablation possible."
Sonablate® continues to be the only HIFU ablation device integrated with the majority of leading fusion platforms and was the first device to receive regulatory authorization from the FDA for the focused ultrasound ablation of prostate tissue. Since its introduction over 15 years ago, Sonablate® technology has been used around the world on over 15,000 patients in over 30 countries, including approximately 1,500 U.S. men who have had this procedure performed in the U.S.
