- 90% of the cystoscopies performed on bladder cancer patients use white light, which cannot always detect cancer margins or tumors that lie flat against the bladder wall. The American Urology Association recommends blue light for cystoscopic procedures involving bladder cancer.
- Imagin Medical’s i/Blue Imaging System(TM) provides the simultaneous, side-by-side display of white light and blue light images, making it easier to visualize cancer margins and flat tumors, potentially resulting in lower recurrence rates
- The company is has transitioned to the manufacturing stage of the i/Blue System with their contract manufacturer, Lighthouse Imaging
- Bladder cancer is the sixth most prevalent cancer in the United States, with approximately 81,400 new cases in 2020 and approximately 17,980 deaths in 2020
Surgical imaging company,
Imagin Medical (CSE: IME) (OTCQB: IMEXF), is on the innovative edge of visualizing bladder cancer, aiming to overcome the challenges associated with current imaging techniques. The conventional treatment for bladder cancer is white light cystoscopy that allows doctors to insert a cystoscope equipped with a lens through the urethra to illuminate and examine the outer wall of the bladder.
Cystoscopies may be performed for the following reasons:
- Investigation of signs and symptoms of blood in the urine, incontinence, overactive bladder, and painful urination
- Diagnosis of bladder diseases and conditions, s including bladder cancer, bladder stones, and inflammation within the bladder
- Treatment for bladder diseases and conditions when Special tools can pass through the cystoscope to treat specific conditions and/or remove tumors
Even though the American Urology Association recommends using blue light for cystoscopies, 90% are still performed with white light which cannot clearly visualize the margins of tumors that protrude above the bladder wall or those that run flush along the surface. With the use of a contrast agent that causes cancerous growths to fluoresce, blue light cystoscopy enables surgeons to better visualize the margins of tumors above the wall as well as the flat cancerous growths on the surface, In addition, this method has been proven to reduce bladder cancer recurrence. Two downsides to blue light cystoscopy are its steep price tag and the way that the highlighted blue images displayed on the monitor are not in real time, requiring surgeons to manually switch back and forth between the white and blue light images and rely on memory to resect the cancer. In addition, the current method requires hospitals to purchase proprietary endoscopes, rather than use the standard scopes they already own.
Imagin Medical’s innovative i/Blue Imaging System combines blue light and the same already FDA approved contrast agent with advanced optics and light sensors, and employs patented ultrasensitive imaging technology to address these limitations. Both white light and blue light images will be in real time and can be displayed side-by-side on the same monitor, eliminating the need to switch back and forth and providing surgeons with more accurate visualization to resect. Additionally, the i/Blue Imaging System can be adapted to most endoscopes on the market, making it unnecessary for hospitals to swap out their equipment, which makes for a highly cost-effective approach.
The company has entered the manufacturing stage with FDA-registered contract manufacturer, Lighthouse Imaging.
Imagin Medical intends to expand its technology to other procedures in the future, but the primary focus for now is on bladder cancer, the most expensive form of cancer to treat over the lifetime of a patient. According to Verified Market Research, the global bladder cancer market was valued at $3.43 billion in 2018 but is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.03% and reach $4.71 billion by 2026 (
https://ibn.fm/LfWJx).
Bladder cancer is the sixth most prevalent cancer in the United States, totaling 81,400 new cases in 2020 and resulting in approximately 17,980 deaths in 2020. Imagin Medical believes its technology has the potential to revolutionize the current standard of care for bladder cancer patients by advancing the efficiency and accuracy of cancer detection and removal, and potentially reducing recurrence rates.
For more information, visit the company’s website at
www.ImaginMedical.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IMEXF are available in the company’s newsroom at
https://ibn.fm/IMEXF
