IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MRI Interventions, Inc. (OTCQB:MRIC) today announced that clinical outcomes and technical results regarding the application of its ClearPoint® Neuro Intervention System in "asleep" deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery will be presented during the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in San Francisco, California, October 18-23, 2013.
Dr. Jill Ostrem, neurologist at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Dr. Fiona Gupta, neurologist at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), will present clinical outcomes from both centers at the ClearPoint Update reception on Monday, October 21, hosted by MRI Interventions at the Palace Hotel. Dr. Gupta will report on long-term clinical outcomes of asleep DBS with the ClearPoint platform at HUMC, and Dr. Ostrem's presentation will cover preliminary data on clinical outcomes from UCSF. In addition, prominent neurosurgeons will discuss their experiences and technical aspects of the ClearPoint System for a variety of neurosurgical applications, including asleep DBS, focal laser ablation and drug delivery.
During the Original Science Program on Wednesday, October 23, Dr. Paul Larson, neurosurgeon at UCSF, will present long-term accuracy results from a prospective study of 60 patients who underwent asleep DBS with the ClearPoint platform at UCSF between August 2010 and March 2013 in his talk, "Application Accuracy of a Second Generation Interventional MRI Stereotactic Platform: Initial Experience in 101 DBS Electrode Implantations."
MRI Interventions' newest product line extension designed to drive minimally invasive neurosurgical solutions – the next-generation SmartFrame® XG Exchangeable Guide System – will also be on display during the conference. Conference attendees are invited to visit Booth #1652 during the meeting to learn about the new system. Visitors to the booth can also explore an interactive presentation detailing the ClearPoint System's unique suitability for an array of neurosurgical applications.
About the ClearPoint System
The ClearPoint System is a navigation platform designed to allow real-time, direct visualization during minimally-invasive neurosurgical procedures. ClearPoint software works with MRI to assist surgeons in planning a target and trajectory, and the SmartFrame® targeting device enables the MRI-guided alignment and insertion of surgical instruments. The ClearPoint System has been used to enable deep brain stimulation procedures, drug delivery in the brain, focal laser ablation, and brain biopsy.
The ClearPoint SmartFlow® cannula is presently FDA-cleared for injection of cytarabine, a chemotherapy drug, to the ventricles or removal of CSF from the ventricles during intracranial procedures. Delivery of other therapeutic agents using the SmartFlow cannula is investigational.
About MRI Interventions, Inc.
Founded in 1998, MRI Interventions is creating innovative platforms for performing the next generation of minimally invasive surgical procedures in the brain and heart. Utilizing a hospital's existing MRI suite, the company's FDA-cleared and CE-marked ClearPoint® System is designed to enable a range of minimally invasive procedures in the brain. MRI Interventions has a co-development and co-distribution agreement with Brainlab, a leader in software-driven medical technology, relating to the ClearPoint System. In partnership with Siemens Healthcare, MRI Interventions is developing the ClearTrace® System to enable MRI-guided catheter ablations to treat cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. Building on the imaging power of MRI, the company's interventional platforms strive to improve patient care while reducing procedure costs and times. MRI Interventions is also working with Boston Scientific Corporation to incorporate its MRI-safety technologies into Boston Scientific's implantable leads for cardiac and neurological applications. For more information, please visit www.mriinterventions.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that, to different degrees, are uncertain and involve risk. Uncertainties and risks may cause MRI Interventions' actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by MRI Interventions' forward-looking statements. Particular uncertainties and risks include, among others: demand and market acceptance of our products; our ability to successfully expand our sales and clinical support capabilities; availability of third party reimbursement; the sufficiency of our cash resources to maintain planned commercialization efforts and research and development programs; future actions of the FDA or any other regulatory body that could impact product development, manufacturing or sale; our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our dependence on collaboration partners; the impact of competitive products and pricing; and the impact of the commercial and credit environment on us and our customers and suppliers. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect MRI Interventions' actual results are described in MRI Interventions' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, MRI Interventions' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2013. Except as required by law, MRI Interventions undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in MRI Interventions' expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.