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.
CONTACT: Stereotaxis Investor Contact:
Todd Kehrli / Jim Byers
MKR Group, Inc.
323-468-2300
stxs@mkr-group.com
TMC Press Contact:
Kimberly Romo
Communications Specialist
520-324-4390
Kimberly.romo@tmcaz.com