AngioDynamics Launches A Single Needle Radio Frequency Electrode For Multiple Small Lesion Ablations
Queensbury, NY - AngioDynamics, a leading provider of innovative medical devices used by interventional radiologists and surgeons for the minimally invasive treatment of cancer and peripheral vascular disease, announced recently that it has launched the RITA UniBlate, a scalable, single-needle radio frequency ablation electrode used to coagulate lesions during percutaneous, laparoscopic, and intraoperative surgical procedures. 
The UniBlate features a single, 17 gauge cannula electrode with a scalable active tip length of 1 to 2.5 centimeters. This novel feature allows the physician to perform multiple ablations with the same electrode; the physician can adjust the length of the active electrode to ablate areas between 1 and 3 centimeters in length and 1 and 2.5 centimeters in diameter, reducing the need to switch electrodes during a multiple ablation procedure. In turn, this minimizes a hospital's need to maintain an inventory of single electrode RF needles of varying sizes.
The single needle design also provides an added level of safety for ablations that are needed near critical and delicate structures, when multi-tine electrode arrays are less desirable. With the UniBlate, AngioDynamics now provides interventional radiologists, oncologists, and surgeons a full line of RF devices capable of ablating a variety of lesions from one to seven centimeters in diameter.
"The UniBlate enables the successful treatment of small tumors located in critical anatomical areas," said Riccardo Lencioni, MD, Professor of Radiology, University of Pisa. "In our practice, we see a number of patients with small liver or lung tumors in very difficult locations, where placement or deployment of an electrode array may be technically challenging. We have treated these patients safely and successfully with the UniBlate."
Peter R. Mueller, MD, Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and Head of Abdominal Imaging and Interventional Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital concurred.
"The UniBlate has become a valuable part of our RF armamentarium," said Dr. Mueller. "The electrode's small footprint is useful for treating lesions in difficult anatomic locations and its powerful profile allows us to treat lesions in a variety of organs."
"The RITA line of RF ablation devices is the market leader and is well known among surgeons and interventionalists for its clinical efficacy," said Eamonn Hobbs, AngioDynamics President and CEO. "The UniBlate strengthens this offering by providing physicians with greater flexibility and safety in small lesion ablations. We have been delighted by the enthusiasm with which physicians have welcomed the UniBlate, and we are very encouraged by the clinical benefits that have been demonstrated in early cases. We look forward to its full commercial launch in November."
AngioDynamics has begun a limited commercial launch of UniBlate, and the Company expects a full market launch on November 1.
Professor Lencioni will be presenting data on his early clinical experience with the UniBlate at the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe annual scientific meeting in Athens, Greece held on Sept 8-12, 2007.
SOURCE: AngioDynamics