For additional information contact:
Luanne Radermacher, MEDRAD
724-940-7968
lradermacher@medrad.com
WARRENDALE, Pa., June 6, 2010 – MEDRAD, Inc. has signed an agreement with the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to provide technology to assist their research in lung function using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. MGH investigators are developing a second-generation custom device that will prepare and inject molecular agents using MEDRAD controlled fluid delivery technology and flexible programming interface capabilities. Specifically, the MGH device will process and inject N13 gas, dissolved in saline, for research in both pre-clinical and clinical PET studies. This technique enables acquisition of spatially co-registered functional images of lung perfusion and ventilation in a single procedure. MGH has received several federal grants to pursue their research.
The device being designed by the researchers at MGH isolates and dissolves N13 gas into sterile saline, and injects the subject with the resulting isotope-labeled fluid. This procedure requires several processing steps where MEDRAD technology will be utilized. Upon injection, regional perfusion in the lung is captured using dynamic imaging techniques to assess the ability of blood to reach the various regions of the lung. Once in the lungs, the N13 is imaged while being expelled through breathing during a tracer washout period. These images provide an indication of local ventilation effectiveness. In previous research, this non-invasive imaging technique has proved to be very valuable in studying lung injury, chronic obstructive lung disease, and other pulmonary dysfunctions in human and animal models.
“MEDRAD technology will be instrumental in this type of dynamic functional imaging in PET research,” says Doug Descalzi, executive director, MEDRAD Molecular Imaging. “This particular technique requires well-controlled and automated fluid management and delivery, which is what MEDRAD does very well.”
“Access to precise and versatile technology will be critical to the success of our processing and injection system,” says Jose Venegas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Harvard Medical School, MGH, “MEDRAD support will aid our research, and help us develop emerging functional imaging techniques with PET and other nuclear medicine tools.”
About MEDRAD, Inc.
MEDRAD, Inc. develops, markets and services medical devices used to diagnose and treat disease. Its product offerings include fluid injection systems for radiology and cardiology, endovascular devices for the safe treatment of cardiovascular disease, magnetic resonance-compatible accessories and equipment services. The company’s world headquarters is near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. MEDRAD is a business of Bayer Medical Care. More company information is available at www.medrad.com.
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.
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