Overview
We are a medical device company that develops and commercializes innovative platforms for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures in the brain and heart under direct, intra-procedural magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, guidance. Since our inception in 1998, we have focused on research and product development in the field of interventional MRI. From 1998 to 2002, we deployed significant resources to fund our efforts to develop the foundational capabilities for enabling MRI-guided interventions and to build an intellectual property position. In 2003, our focus shifted to identifying and building out commercial applications for the technologies we developed in prior years.
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We have two product platforms. Our ClearPoint system, which is in commercial use in the United States, is used to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures in the brain. We anticipate that the ClearTrace system, which is still in development, will be used to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures in the heart. Both systems utilize intra-procedural magnetic resonance imaging to guide the procedures. Both systems are designed to work in a hospital’s existing MRI suite.
Our products are designed to provide a new, minimally invasive surgical approach to address large patient populations for whom we believe current surgical techniques are deficient. Our ClearPoint system is designed to deliver therapies to treat certain neurological diseases. Our ClearTrace system is designed to deliver therapies to treat certain cardiac diseases. We believe that our two product platforms, subject to appropriate regulatory clearance and approval, will provide better patient outcomes, enhance revenue potential for both physicians and hospitals, and reduce costs to the healthcare system.
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Better Patient Outcomes. We believe that if a physician can see the surgical field, the surgical instruments and the patient’s anatomy all at the same time and in the same “imaging space,” the physician can more efficiently perform a surgical intervention in the brain or heart. Our product platforms, subject to appropriate regulatory clearance or approval, are designed to enable physicians to see the target site, guide the surgical instrument to the site, deliver the therapy, monitor for adverse events and complications and confirm the desired results of the procedure, all under high resolution, intra-procedural magnetic resonance imaging. We believe that these capabilities will translate directly into better clinical outcomes for the patients undergoing the procedures due to improved efficiency, the potential for the reduction of adverse events and side effects, as well as the potential for faster recovery times.
Enhance Revenue Potential. By providing direct, intra-procedural visualization, we believe our ClearPoint system can reduce the amount of time needed to perform the procedures for which it was designed. As a result, we believe that our ClearPoint system may improve the overall economics of the procedures for both the performing physician and the hospital. We believe that our ClearPoint system may also enable a physician to treat more patients in a given period of time, and treat patients who would otherwise not be able to be treated utilizing current surgical techniques.
Reduce Costs to the Healthcare System. We believe that use of our products may result in more efficient utilization of healthcare resources and physician time. For example, our product platforms are designed to work in a hospital’s existing MRI suite, which adds additional utility for an infrastructure investment that has already been made by the hospital. Further, if patient outcomes and procedure efficiencies are improved by use of our products, we believe that the result will be a reduction in overall healthcare costs.
Our ClearPoint system is in commercial use. In June 2010, we received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to market our ClearPoint system in the United States for general neurological interventional procedures. In February 2011, we also obtained CE marking approval, which enables us to sell the ClearPoint system in the European Union. In April 2011, we entered into a co-development and distribution agreement with Brainlab, a leader in the image-guided surgery field, under which Brainlab will serve as our distribution partner for the ClearPoint system. As of December 31, 2012, a total of 20 ClearPoint systems had been installed, 18 in the United States and two in Europe. ClearPoint systems are in clinical use with MRI scanners from the three major manufacturers, Siemens, GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare, as well as the two major interventional MR/OR platforms that are manufactured by IMRIS and Brainlab.
The ClearTrace system, a product candidate still in development, is designed to allow catheter-based minimally invasive procedures in the heart to be performed using continuous, intra-procedural MRI guidance. In May 2009, we entered into an exclusive co-development agreement with Siemens for the development and commercialization of the hardware and MRI software necessary for the ClearTrace system. We believe that our exclusive relationship with Siemens secures an important strategic market position for the ClearTrace system. Our development activities on the ClearTrace system are ongoing. We have not made any filings seeking regulatory clearance or approval for the ClearTrace system. We anticipate that the initial market for the ClearTrace system will be the European Union.
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In addition to our strategic relationships with Brainlab and Siemens, we also have entered into exclusive licensing and development agreements with Boston Scientific, pursuant to which Boston Scientific may incorporate certain of our technologies into its cardiac pacemaker and neuromodulation products. To augment our research and development activities, we also have meaningful collaborations with renowned academic institutions.
We have a significant intellectual property portfolio in the field of MRI-guided interventions. As of January 31, 2012, our portfolio included 81 patents and 98 patent applications, both United States and foreign, which we wholly-own, co-own or have licensed. Our technologies have been the subject of numerous peer-reviewed articles in medical and scientific journals. As a result of our product offerings, intellectual property position and collaborative relationships, we believe that we are well positioned to remain on the forefront of the emerging market for MRI-guided minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Industry Background
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MRI is a widely practiced imaging technique that uses spatially varying magnetic fields to produce images of the human anatomy. Hydrogen nuclei, present in molecules throughout the body, are slightly magnetic. When placed in large external magnetic fields, they can be induced to emit or resonate radio frequency signals. These radio frequency signals are used to construct images of human anatomy, including high resolution images of soft tissue.
MRI has important and advantageous properties that differentiate it from other imaging methods. MRI scans can provide images of any part of the body, in any plane of view, and offer more detailed information than other modalities, including fluoroscopy and computed tomography. Some of the unique advantages of MRI include:
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soft tissue imaging that enables superior tissue visualization and enhanced differentiation between healthy and diseased tissues;
unlimited orientation and positioning of the imaging plane;
ability to directly acquire volumetric (three dimensional) data sets;
ability to evaluate both the structure and certain functions of internal organs; and
no harmful ionizing radiation exposure for either the patient or the physician.
There are approximately 4,500 1.5T MRI scanners and approximately 550 3T MRI scanners installed in hospitals throughout the United States. MRI scanners are available in a number of different configurations and field strengths, which refers to the strength of the magnet used to create the magnetic field. Magnetic field strength is measured in Tesla, or T. The most common field strength for MRI scanners is 1.5T. Higher field strength scanners such as 3T MRI scanners have been introduced in clinical practice and are gaining commercial market adoption, offering faster scanner speeds and even higher resolution images than 1.5T MRI scanners.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
Over the past few decades, one of the most significant medical trends has been the development of minimally invasive surgical methods and techniques. As its name implies, a minimally invasive procedure is a less invasive approach than open surgery. Minimally invasive procedures typically involve use of laparoscopic devices, catheter-based devices or remote-control manipulation of instruments once inside the body. Minimally invasive procedures in the brain have typically been performed using a complex technique known as stereotactic neurosurgery, under which a physician merges pre-operative images and data with specialized surgical instruments to help guide the surgical procedure in the brain.
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Our Current Products and Product Candidates
ClearPoint Neuro Intervention System
General
Our ClearPoint system is designed to allow minimally invasive procedures in the brain to be performed in a hospital’s existing MRI suite. The ClearPoint system provides guidance for the placement and operation of instruments or devices during the planning and operation of neurological procedures performed within the MRI suite using MR imaging. Our ClearPoint system is intended to be used as an integral part of procedures, such as biopsies and the insertion of catheters and electrodes, which have traditionally been performed using stereotactic methods. Our ClearPoint system is intended to be used with both 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners. Our research efforts for our ClearPoint system began in 2003. In June 2010, we received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market our ClearPoint system in the United States for general neurological interventional procedures. In February 2011, we also obtained CE marking approval for our ClearPoint system. The CE mark is an international symbol of adherence to quality assurance standards and compliance with applicable European Union medical device directives, and it allows us to market the ClearPoint system in the European Union.