New 18 Gauge Needle for Use with the Aurora System

June 10, 2009

WATERLOO, Canada -- NDI (Northern Digital Inc.), a world-leader in 3D measurement technology for medical, industrial and research applications, is pleased to announce the release of an 18 gauge needle for use with the Aurora Electromagnetic Tracking System.

The Aurora Needle, 2-Part, 18G / 200 mm, Chiba consists of a 200 mm stylet and an 18 gauge outer cannula. A 5DOF sensor is integrated into the stylet which allows the needle tip to be tracked as it is inserted into tissue. The needle length, diameter and tip style can all be customized to meet specific OEM requirements. The needle is designed for single use and may be sterilized via ethylene oxide.

Aurora Needle, 2-Part, 18G / 200 mm, Chiba

The needle is a "Ready-To-Use" tracking tool with all components required for tracking integrated in a format designed for medical use; sensor, cabling, enclosure, connection and firmware.

"We are pleased to offer a tracking needle that can be used for needle-based diagnosis and therapy," notes Wolfgang Zimmerman, Aurora Program Manager. "We feel that this application of Aurora technology provides exceptional value to clinicians practicing Interventional Radiology and Oncology. The combination of real-time intraoperative needle and patient tracking with multi-modality image registration and fusion represents a method to efficiently plan and execute a wide array of soft tissue therapies. These solutions are now being offered by our OEM partners and have the potential to become the standard of care."

NDI continues to add to the list of available sensors and tracking tools for use with the Aurora system. For more information about NDI and their products, please visit the NDI Medical Division website.

About NDI

Established over 25 years ago, NDI is trusted by international leaders in medicine, industry and research for the accuracy and reliability of its measurement technology. NDI systems are used in applications from computer-assisted surgery to aeronautics; from quality inspection to human motion research. Today, the company is a world leader in advanced 3D measurement technology. With over 14,000 installations in more than 30 countries around the world, NDI’s success has been built on the ability to understand and meet the unique individual needs of customer applications.