Halt Medical, Inc. Announces Exclusive License to InnerOptic Technologies' Aim Guidance Software

BRENTWOOD, Calif., Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Halt Medical, Inc., a privately held medical device company, developing minimally invasive, uterine sparing solutions for women who suffer from symptomatic fibroids, announced today the exclusive license to InnerOptic Technologies' Aim guidance software for their Acessa Guidance System. Aim provides a patented 3D-interface displaying the position of the ultrasound image and the Acessa probe, helping physicians to accurately place the probe into a uterine fibroid.

The Acessa Guidance System incorporates Aim with electromagnetic tracking technology and radiofrequency ablation to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids laparoscopically. When coupled with ultrasound, it provides instant feedback of device trajectory to the targeted fibroid and tracks the surgical instruments in real time. This is the first time in history that this technology has been applied in the field of gynecology.

"Using InnerOptic's Aim, the Acessa Guidance System makes the Acessa procedure more accurate and easier to perform, enabling more women to benefit from uterine fibroid ablation," said Kim Bridges, President and CEO, Halt Medical, Inc. "With the launch of the Acessa Guidance System, we're fulfilling our promise of providing the most minimally invasive, outpatient surgical solution to women who aren't satisfied with their current treatment options."

"We are pleased to license Halt Medical our patented and FDA-cleared Aim 3D guidance software for uterine fibroid ablation," said Brian Heaney, CEO of InnerOptic Technology, Inc. "Working closely with Halt and their clinicians, we have carefully optimized the Aim interface, providing easy-to-use and effective guidance for the Acessa procedure."

Uterine fibroids are benign, muscular tumors in a woman's uterus that can cause heavy bleeding, painful periods, pressure, and distention of the abdomen [1]. At least 70% of women in the U.S. will develop fibroids by the age of 50, with the prevalence even higher among African American women [2].  As a result, they remain a major women's health issue with significant economic and reproductive impact. The NIH has determined that direct health care costs for the surgical treatment of fibroids is more than $2.1 billion annually [3]. In a nationwide inpatient sample, over half a million women underwent hysterectomy for benign gynecologic conditions [4] and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) state that 39% of all hysterectomies are due to fibroids [5]. Over time, patients and gynecologists are turning to less invasive procedures and laparoscopic options are becoming more popular [6].

The Acessa Procedure is a minimally invasive, uterine conserving, laparoscopic procedure that delivers radiofrequency energy to destroy the fibroids. After treatment, the fibroid is reabsorbed by the surrounding tissue. The procedure allows the surgeon to treat only the fibroids, while preserving normal function of the uterus. Patients typically go home the same day with minimal discomfort, and enjoy a rapid return to normal activities.

About Halt Medical, Inc. - The company is focused on establishing a new standard of care for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids. The Acessa System is cleared by the FDA and has CE mark for use in percutaneous, laparoscopic coagulation and ablation of soft tissue, including treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids under laparoscopic ultrasound guidance. The Company is located in Brentwood, CA. For information about the Acessa System, please visit www.acessaprocedure.com.

About InnerOptic Technology, Inc. - InnerOptic was founded in 2003 to commercialize the patented medical visualization technology developed by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. InnerOptic is revolutionizing image-guided procedures with its InnerOptic's Aim, a "GPS" that improves a physician's ability to accurately perform complex minimally invasive procedures with ultrasound imaging. A privately held company, InnerOptic is headquartered in Hillsborough, NC.

CONTACT: Brian Heaney, CEO of InnerOptic Technology, Inc., [email protected], (919) 732-2090.

[1] www.womenshealth.gov
[2] Baird DD et al. High cumulative incidence of uterine leiomyoma in black and white women: Ultrasound evidence. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003; 188 (1):100-107.
[3] National Institutes of Health fact sheet: http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/viewfactsheet.aspx?csid=50
[4] Jacoby VL, Autry A, Jacobson G, Domush R, Nakagawa S, Jacoby A.  Nationwide Use of Laparoscopic
Hysterectomy Compared With Abdominal and Vaginal Approaches  Obstet Gynecol 2009;114( 5):1041-1048.
[5] www.ACOG.org. 2011 Women's Health Stats and Facts: p.18.
[6] Twijnstra AR, Kolkman W, Trimbos-Kemper GC, Jansen FW. Implementation of advanced laparoscopic surgery in gynecology: national overview of trends. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2010;17(4):487-492.

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SOURCE Halt Medical