IMRIS Inc. ("IMRIS" or the "Company") and Brigham and Women's Hospital, ("BWH") today announced a comprehensive agreement in support of BWH's vision of bringing the most advanced multi-modality image guided therapy suite in the world to its facility in Boston, Massachusetts.
Under the terms of the agreement, IMRISNV and IMRIScardio, which were recently cleared by the FDA will be installed in BWH's Advanced Multimodality Image Guided Operating ("AMIGO") suite. AMIGO will combine the most advanced and complete image guidance capabilities in a single suite with the goal of delivering the best possible therapy to patients across a range of applications including neurological, neurovascular, oncological and cardiovascular disorders.
The fully integrated IMRIS system will include an MR diagnostic center and interventional theatre, incorporating a Siemens wide bore 3T MRI and single plane angiography system. The system will permit rapid and seamless transitions between MR imaging and intervention without transporting the patient between modalities. MR images can be taken before and during procedures to assess tissue health, and can also be used in conjunction with the fluoroscopic images during interventional procedures. On completion of the procedure, new images can be taken to evaluate the intervention.
The IMRIS system is the first in the world to allow the capabilities of both MRI and x-ray angiography in a single suite without the need to transport the patient between modalities. In addition, no other system offers the same degree of safety for both the patient and the surgical environment.
Dr. Ferenc Jolesz, Director, Division of MRI and Image Guided Therapy Program Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and B. Leonard Holman Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School said, "We believe IMRIS's capabilities best meet our requirements for achieving the vision of AMIGO and through a collaborative partnership with IMRIS we will investigate and develop new applications in this exciting field."
As part of today's announcement, IMRIS and BWH are also entering into a five-year research initiative. BWH is internationally recognized as a pioneer in intra-operative MRI and leads the U.S. National Center for Image Guided Therapy ("NCIGT") under the leadership of Dr.Jolesz and Dr. Clare Tempany, Ferenc Jolesz Distinguished Chair in Radiology Research, Vice Chair, Radiology Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital. The goals of the collaboration between IMRIS and BWH include the development of new applications, establishment of workflows and the validation of the benefits associated with new applications.
"We are extremely pleased to establish this important relationship with BWH and to have our system selected as the platform for AMIGO," said David Graves, President & CEO, IMRIS. "Dr. Jolesz, Dr. Tempany and BWH are recognized globally as the leaders of image-guided therapy and especially in MR guided therapy in neurosurgery, prostate brachytherapy, cryosurgery and MRI-guided focused ultrasound. Partnering with BWH is a part of our overall vision to develop the next generation of applications, in support of further helping clinicians improve patient outcomes."
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