Spinout News / UCLB News

SmartTarget Ltd launches a device for the detection of prostate cancer

30 September 2016

UCLB spinout SmartTarget Ltd announces the launch of a new device for the detection of prostate cancer. The CE certified SmartTarget system is an image fusion device for guiding targeted, transperineal prostate biopsy.

Designed and developed by world leading urologists and biomedical engineers, the technology enables image-directed tumour targeting during minimally invasive biopsy procedures for prostate cancer patients and has undergone extensive clinical evaluation in over 200 patients at UCLH.

Users of the SmartTarget software benefit from an interface that is intuitive and easy-to-use. Patented, state-of-the-art image fusion techniques allow for a simple and efficient single-user workflow in which changes in the shape and position of the prostate between magnetic resonance (MR) and ultrasound images are automatically compensated for.

Recently demonstrated at the British Association of Urological Surgeons’ annual scientific meeting, the market-ready SmartTarget generated an enthusiastic response from visitors.

CEO Mark Kirby said: “I am very excited to be leading SmartTarget as we commercialise the SmartTarget prostate fusion biopsy system. There are significant changes coming in the care pathway for men with prostate cancer and I believe that SmartTarget is ideally placed to deliver this better and more economic pathway.

Chief Scientific Officer and co-inventor of the SmartTarget software Dr Dean Barratt commented: “The SmartTarget software is the culmination of 10 years’ research, and incorporates some of the most advanced technology available in any commercial medical image fusion system. I am delighted that this technology is now able to become widely available to benefit patients across the UK and Europe, and look forward to continuing to develop the software for new medical applications.

Development of the device was supported by funding from the Health Innovation Challenge Fund, a parallel funding partnership between the UK Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust, enabling the company to offer a product that is affordable for both the public and private healthcare sectors. The research was also part-funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Contact:
Mark Kirby (CEO, SmartTarget Ltd)
mark.kirby@smarttarget.co.uk
+44 (0)207 993 2390
SmartTarget is a registered trademark of SmartTarget Ltd.

About SmartTarget Ltd
A spinout of UCL (University College London), SmartTarget is dedicated to providing high accuracy, easy-to-use and affordable medical image fusion solutions for guiding prostate cancer biopsy and minimally-invasive cancer treatments. Its unique technology is based on research by scientists and engineers within UCL’s Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC), one of the world’s leading academic groups in the field of medical image processing and analysis.

See www.smarttarget.co.uk for further information.

About UCL Business PLC
UCLB is a leading technology transfer company that supports and commercialises research and innovations arising from UCL, one of the UK’s top research-led universities. UCLB has a successful track record and a strong reputation for identifying and protecting promising new technologies and innovations from UCL academics. UCLB has a strong track record in commercialising medical technologies and provides technology transfer services to UCL’s associated hospitals; University College London Hospitals, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal Free London Hospital. It invests directly in development projects to maximise the potential of the research and manages the commercialisation process of technologies from laboratory to market.

For further information, please visit: www.uclb.com – Twitter: @UCL_Business

About the NIHR
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world.

For further information, visit the NIHR website: www.nihr.ac.uk.