Seno Medical Instruments

Seno Medical was formed to commercialize a new modality in cancer screening and diagnosis: opto-acoustic imaging. Unlike most screening techniques, which rely on anatomical imaging, Seno's goal is to bring functional imaging that can detect angiogenesis to the marketplace. Their first product is a small animal imaging device. This product application was successfully licensed to a world market leader, VisualSonics. Products for use with humans, focusing initially on breast cancer, are also in development. Seno’s first clinical application is for breast cancer diagnosis. A strong, experienced management team and nationally recognized Scientific Advisory Board have been assembled to complete the commercialization, secure regulatory approval and launch the products. The management team has a long history of working together and in successfully commercializing medical devices. Seno’s patented technology integrates the use of lasers and acoustics to determine the presence of angiogenesis—the growth of blood vessels and higher blood volume that always surrounds a tumor. This represents a significant evolutionary step in imaging. Unlike anatomical imaging techniques, such as mammography, laser opto-acoustic imaging can detect breast cancer, for example, at its earliest clinically significant stage (2 mm. versus 10 mm. with mammography) without patient discomfort or exposure to harmful x-ray. The opportunities are exciting…for investors and scientists, for physicians and the myriad women and men tested for or diagnosed with cancer each year. The goal of laser opto-acoustic imaging is to allow more precise and earlier detection of smaller tumors and the ability to differentiate benign from malignant growth without biopsy. Future applications will focus on other types of cancer and broader diagnostic and treatment applications. Seno acquired working pre-prototypes in addition to the core patents on opto-acoustic technology; they will license two other patents for future applications. These patents constitute a platform technology with a multitude of potential follow-on applications, including imaging for the earliest detection of cancer of the ovary, bladder, prostate, colon and melanoma as well as unstable plaque (cardiovascular). Peer review and the continued funding of $13 million from nationally recognized institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Department of Defense (DoD) support their scientific credibility. And, significantly, the pre-prototypes being used in clinical testing have demonstrated a strong correlation to biopsy in diagnosing cancer. They look forward to the future and to the role Seno can play in minimizing the uncertainty, the cost and trauma of diagnosing and treating cancer.

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