ST. LOUIS, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Stereotaxis, Inc.
(Nasdaq: STXS) today announced the first crossing of a chronic total occlusion
using the RF PowerAssert(TM) Magnetic Guidewire. Cleared by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration in 2008, the RF PowerAssert guidewire is the only
magnetically enabled device available for crossing peripheral occlusions,
including CTOs. Used with the Niobe Magnetic Navigation System, it is an
innovative solution that enables precise intra-lesion control of its distal
tip.
Austin Heart interventional cardiologist Frank Zidar, M.D. used the new
device on January 7th, on a patient with severe peripheral artery disease
(PAD). The patient had 100% blockage in a main artery in his leg that caused
chronic, severe pain due to poor circulation.
"This new magnetic guidewire technology provided great control and
improved accuracy over traditional, manual guidewires," said Dr. Zidar. "Once
we reached the blockage, the tip of the guidewire burned a tiny passage
through the blockage, allowing us then to use existing techniques to open up
the blockage further and restore healthy blood flow to the patient's leg.
This revolutionary technology will likely reduce procedures times, and
therefore reduce the amount of contrast dye and imaging radiation to the
patient."
Dr. Zidar performed this procedure at Heart Hospital of Austin.
"This is a promising beginning for our RF PowerAssert guidewire," said
Michael P. Kaminski, Stereotaxis President and CEO. "We are delighted that
Dr. Zidar was able to provide this patient with a positive outcome, and are
very excited to work with other clinicians across the country as they adopt
our magnetically-enabled technologies in their vascular labs."
For more information about Stereotaxis or its magnetic vascular lab
technologies, visit http://www.stereotaxis.com.
About Stereotaxis
Stereotaxis designs, manufactures and markets an advanced cardiology
instrument control system for use in a hospital's interventional surgical
suite to enhance the treatment of coronary artery disease and arrhythmias. The
Stereotaxis System is designed to enable physicians to complete more complex
interventional procedures by providing image guided delivery of catheters and
guidewires through the blood vessels and chambers of the heart to treatment
sites. This is achieved using computer-controlled, externally applied magnetic
fields that govern the motion of the working tip of the catheter or guidewire,
resulting in improved navigation, shorter procedure time and reduced x-ray
exposure. The core components of the Stereotaxis system have received
regulatory clearance in the U.S., Europe and Canada.
This press release includes statements that may constitute
"forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe,"
"estimate," "project," "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking
statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that
would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to,
continued acceptance for the Company's products in the marketplace,
competitive factors, changes in government reimbursement procedures,
dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks discussed in the
Company's periodic and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes
no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the
date of this release. There can be no assurance that the Company will
recognize revenue related to its purchase orders and other commitments in any
particular period or at all because some of these purchase orders and other
commitments are subject to contingencies that are outside of the Company's
control. In addition, these orders and commitments may be revised, modified or
canceled, either by their express terms, as a result of negotiations, or by
project changes or delays.
SOURCE Stereotaxis, Inc.
-0- 01/12/2009
/CONTACT: Jim Stolze, Chief Financial Officer of Stereotaxis, Inc.,
+1-314-678-6105; or Investors, Doug Sherk or Jenifer Kirtland,
+1-415-896-6820, or Media, Steve DiMattia, +1-646-201-5445, all of EVC Group,
Inc., for Stereotaxis, Inc./
/Web site: http://www.stereotaxis.com /
(STXS)
CO: Stereotaxis, Inc.
ST: Missouri
IN: HEA MTC CPR
SU:
PD-JR
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0739 01/12/200917:12 ESThttp://www.prnewswire.com