ST. LOUIS, Jan. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stereotaxis, Inc. (Nasdaq: STXS ), a global leader in innovative technologies for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, and Tucson Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona's locally governed nonprofit regional hospital since 1944, announced today that they have teamed up to bring the first Stereotaxis Vdrive® robotic navigation system with V-Loop™ variable loop catheter manipulator to the U.S.
With the Vdrive system, physicians can operate the hand controls of common diagnostic and therapeutic catheters from a control room during a cardiac ablation procedure. The Vdrive with V-Loop system, which received FDA clearance in September 2014, is designed to remotely control the advancement, retraction, rotation, tip deflection and loop size of a compatible circular mapping catheter, used in approximately 60,000 complex ablation procedures worldwide each year.
"We are excited and proud to be the first to offer this impressive innovation in the U.S. and particularly to the residents of Southern Arizona," said Darren Peress, MD, medical director of the Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Tucson Medical Center (TMC). "The Vdrive with V-Loop system enables me to achieve greater stability and maneuverability of the circular mapping catheter during cardiac ablation and potentially improve acute success with even my most complex cases of persistent arrhythmia."
The EP Lab at TMC has utilized Stereotaxis remote magnetic navigation technology in cardiac rhythm management since 2008. In early 2013, the hospital upgraded to the Stereotaxis Epoch™ Solution, which includes the latest generation remote magnetic navigation system, the Niobe® ES, the Odyssey® user interface and the Vdrive robotic navigation system, which first became available in the U.S. last year. Over the past six years, TMC has become the largest cardiac ablation program in the region, due in large part to its collaboration with Stereotaxis, according to Dr. Peress.
"I will not conduct complex EP procedures without the Stereotaxis platform," said Dr. Peress, who completes an average four to five complex ablations each week. "I trust it to outperform my own hands in precision and safety every time."
About Electrophysiology
Electrophysiology (EP) is often used to help correct heart arrhythmias through catheter ablation, which is a treatment that cauterizes (burns) cells to eliminate rhythm abnormalities in patients. During an EP procedure, the electrophysiologist (a cardiologist with specialized training in the electrical system of the heart) will thread special electrode catheters (long, thin, flexible wires) to the heart, normally gaining access to the vasculature through the groin area. Once it is determined which area of the heart is responsible for the arrhythmia, a special wire carrying radiofrequency energy is used to cauterize the site.
About Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Medical Center's mission is to deliver caring, personalized, quality healthcare to patients and their families in an environment that is supportive, education-focused and compassionate. TMC is licensed for 607 adult, pediatric and behavioral health beds. The hospital serves more than 30,000 inpatients and 122,000 outpatients yearly and has several emphasis areas, including maternal and child health, cardiac care, hospice care, neuroscience, orthopedics, diagnostic services and senior services. TMC also created the region's first emergency department dedicated specifically for kids. For more information visit www.tmcaz.com .
About Stereotaxis
Stereotaxis is a healthcare technology and innovation leader in the development of robotic cardiology instrument navigation systems designed to enhance the treatment of arrhythmias and coronary disease, as well as information management solutions for the interventional lab. Over 100 issued patents support the Stereotaxis platform, which helps physicians around the world provide unsurpassed patient care with robotic precision and safety, improved lab efficiency and productivity, and enhanced integration of procedural information. Stereotaxis' core Epoch ™ Solution includes the Niobe ® ES remote magnetic navigation system, the Odyssey ® portfolio of lab optimization, networking and patient information management systems and the Vdrive ™ robotic navigation system and consumables.
The core components of Stereotaxis systems have received regulatory clearance in the U.S., European Union, Canada, China, Japan and elsewhere. The V-Sono ™ ICE catheter manipulator, V-Loop ™ variable loop catheter manipulator and V-CAS ™ catheter advancement system have received U.S. clearance. For more information, please visit www.stereotaxis.com .
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, the Company's ability to raise additional capital on a timely basis and on terms that are acceptable, its ability to continue to manage expenses and cash burn rate at sustainable levels, its ability to continue to work with lenders to extend, repay or refinance indebtedness on acceptable terms, continued acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace, the effect of global economic conditions on the ability and willingness of customers to purchase its systems and the timing of such purchases, competitive factors, changes resulting from the recently enacted healthcare reform in the U.S., including changes in government reimbursement procedures, dependence upon third-party vendors, timing of regulatory approvals, 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, delayed or canceled, either by their express terms, as a result of negotiations, or by overall project changes or delays.
Stereotaxis Investor Contact: Todd Kehrli / Jim Byers MKR Group, Inc. 323-468-2300 TMC Press Contact: Kimberly Romo Communications Specialist 520-324-4390
