DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2014-- Further underscoring its ongoing commitment to lung health, Covidien (NYSE:COV) today unveiled a next-generation version of its superDimension™ Navigation System software. The updated software features a more intuitive interface that helps reduce time spent by physicians planning the procedure and enhances the visualization of the airways of the lung.

“As the number of people with lung cancer increases, the value of effective tools to support the physician in aiding in diagnoses becomes increasingly more important,” said D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP, associate professor of medicine and director of bronchoscopy at The University of Chicago. “Even a minor shift in finding people at stage 1 or stage 2 may dramatically change the societal impact of lung cancer.”

Covidien’s superDimension navigation system enables a minimally invasive approach to accessing difficult-to-reach areas of the lung, which can aid in the diagnosis of lung disease.

According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States1. In its early stages, lung cancer presents few, if any, symptoms. As a result, diagnosis for the vast majority of lung cancer patients happens in the late stages, causing long term survival rates to drastically decline. When diagnosed early, an estimated 85 percent of lung cancer cases appear at a more curable stage.² Early detection and immediate treatment dramatically increases the typical long-term survival rate from 15 percent at 5 years¹ to 88 percent at 10 years.²

The enhanced navigation software is the latest in a series of superDimension enhancements. Earlier this year, Covidien launched the superDimension™ Triple Needle Cytology Brush, a uniquely designed minimally invasive biopsy tool developed to improve diagnostic yields of tumor and lesion samples. Developed to address the challenges of the lung, the Triple Needle Cytology Brush is intended to sample more broadly than a single needle brush. Its design enables doctors to collect cells on three brushes and trap tissue samples between the brushes.

Dr. Hogarth continued, “Covidien partnered with pulmonologists to redesign the superDimension software and introduce new biopsy tools to improve patient outcomes. This latest version of the superDimension software allows me to find tumors sooner by reducing the case planning time required prior to a procedure, simplifying the navigation process, and enhancing the visualization. The innovative design of the Triple Needle Cytology Brush allows me to capture larger tissue samples, which have the potential to provide more information for the patient’s diagnosis and prognosis.”

“These advanced tools and technologies demonstrate Covidien’s commitment to expanding the specialized lung health products available to pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons,” said Chuck Brynelsen, president, Early Technologies, Covidien. “We continue to create a comprehensive portfolio of instruments and technologies designed to help the physician improve how lung cancer is diagnosed with the ultimate goal of improving patient health.”

superDimension Innovations

Using a patient’s CT scan, the latest superDimension planning software generates a 3D virtual bronchial tree and lets physicians map pathways aligned with the patient’s anatomy to reach pulmonary targets that are used during an electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy™ (ENB™) procedure. This virtual roadmap allows physicians to navigate and steer a catheter to the target quickly and accurately.

Once the target tissue is reached, physicians pass the new superDimension Triple Needle Cytology Brush through an endoscopic catheter to obtain tissue samples from endobronchial lesions, peripheral lung nodules, or lung masses.

American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE

Covidien recently partnered with the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE campaign to raise awareness of the very real threat that women face from lung cancer, the number one cancer killer of women that leads to almost twice as many deaths of women as any other cancer.

As the Educational Sponsor for LUNG FORCE, Covidien will work with ALA to improve the understanding of lung cancer through educational initiatives that reach women and their families on the national and local level.

ABOUT COVIDIEN

Covidien is a global health care leader that understands the challenges faced by providers and their patients and works to address them with innovative medical technology solutions and patient care products. Inspired by patients and caregivers, Covidien’s team of dedicated professionals is privileged to help save and improve lives around the world. With more than 38,000 employees, Covidien operates in 150-plus countries and had 2013 revenue of $10.2 billion. To learn more about our business visit www.covidien.com or www.superdimension.com or connect with us on Twitter.

1 The International Early Lung Cancer Action Program Investigators. N Engl J Med 2006; 355:1763-1771.

2American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts & Figures 2013.

Source: Covidien

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