IceSense Freezes Lumps and Tumors

February 5, 2008

Liquid nitrogen is pumped to the end of a thin needle probe, cooling the tip to the extreme cold required for cryotherapy. Utilizing ultrasound, surgeons can then guide the needle to the exact location of the lump and freeze the unwanted tissue inside the body. About the same size as a washing machine, the IceSense apparatus can be operated even in local clinics and medical centers. This keeps expensive and over-worked operating rooms and teams free for more serious surgical procedures. An IceSense treatment will cost less than half that amount, take less than an hour at the clinic, and patients will be able to walk out right after the procedure.

While the theory of cryotreatment has been around for over 30 years and is used today to treat external skin problems such as warts, moles, and cysts, using the same method for internal disorders is problematic. Arbel engineer Alexander Levin explains that building a system to work with surgically small and precise amounts of liquid nitrogen was a challenge. Levin resolved the difficulties by pulsing the nitrogen instead of using a steady flow. The extreme cold acts as a form of anesthetic, numbing the patient’s sensations in the area around the probe and reducing the need for chemical anesthetics. The frozen tissue remains in place and is then dissolved out of the body by the immune system, killing off lingering cancerous tissue and may safe-guard against a resurgence of the disease.

At present, Arbel intends to focus on benign breast lumps before expanding the technology for use to treat breast cancer as well. For more information: www.arbel-medical.com, [email protected], (972) 4-909-0000.

Excerpts of an article by Stuart Winer, www.israel21c

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