ProxiScan SPECT system wins Frost & Sullivan technology innovation
award
31 Jan 2011
Hybridyne Technologies' Proxiscan SPECT imaging system has
been awarded the 2010 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for
Technology Innovation of the Year.
ProxiScan, recently approved by the FDA, is based on the compact
cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) detector, which is the core enabling
component for creating high resolution SPECT images.
ProxiScan is unique because it differs from traditional
scintillator-based SPECT gamma cameras by offering much higher
spatial resolution. It emerges as a technology that can lead to a
more accurate and timely diagnosis and vastly improve upon the
treatment strategies used for patients, leading to improved cancer
care.
"This technology has the distinct advantages of being compact and
less costly, while offering better image quality within a smaller
field of view," explains Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Sangeetha
Prabakar. "Not only does it provide effective and more accurate
localization of cancer at an earlier stage, the device's compactness
also allows more accurate imaging by targeting the desired imaging
area."
Because of its compact design, ProxiScan can be used for
trans-rectal imaging and intra-body cavity measurements, which were
originally not possible with conventional gamma cameras. With
ProxiScan, the working distance between the gamma camera and
prostate gland is greatly minimized. This allows urologists to
obtain much better images of abnormal tissue with smaller amounts of
the injected radioactive tracer.
"ProxiScan's spectrometer-mode imaging capabilities, coupled with
its proximity to the imaging area, greatly reduces the adverse
effects of scattered radiation, allowing ProxiScan to mitigate this
key issue that limits image quality," remarks Prabakar.
"The system — by being capable of producing high-fidelity
pictures more clearly — detects and localizes cancerous tumours
distributed throughout the regions of interest, with the potential
to detect very small tumours that would be missed with other
nuclear-medical imaging technologies."
Frost & Sullivan's research shows ProxiScan's underlying
technology is likely to emerge as one of the best solutions for
prostate cancer diagnosis and can potentially help physicians with
its greater level of sensitivity and precision at a relatively lower
cost. In addition, physicians could find it easier to use because of
its ease of installation and ready availability in their offices.
Furthermore, since urologists currently use trans-rectal
ultrasound probes, the use of Hybridyne's ProxiScan is expected to
find easy acceptance among primary end users as an intra-body-cavity
probe. For patients, the compact size of the system may enhance
convenience and lead to overall cost reductions for prostate cancer
diagnosis and treatment.
"This will have a positive impact on most stages of cancer
detection and treatment, including diagnosis, assistance with
image-guided biopsies, and active surveillance," notes Prabakar.
"Other potential applications of ProxiScan technology include the
detection and management of other diseases that could benefit from
higher resolution imaging, such as breast, thyroid, brain, cervical,
colorectal and uterine cancers, as well as small animal research,
such as nuclear medical studies on mice and rats for drug
development."
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that
has demonstrated excellence in the following categories: uniqueness
of technology, impact on new products/applications, impact on
functionality, impact on customer value and relevance of innovation
to industry.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a
variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding
achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership,
technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product
development. Industry analysts compare market participants and
measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and
extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in
the industry.