NorthStar Mapping System Now Commercially Available in the United States

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Imricor Medical Systems, Inc. (Company or Imricor) (ASX: IMR) is pleased to announce the U.S. commercial launch of its NorthStar^® Mapping System.

NorthStar is the first and only cardiac mapping and guidance system designed specifically to harness the power of magnetic resonance imaging.

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As the first and only cardiac mapping and guidance system designed specifically to harness the power of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to see the heart throughout a minimally-invasive interventional procedure, NorthStar brings the field of interventional MR (iMR) to life.

NorthStar provides physicians with an entirely new software environment through which they can visualize the heart’s structure and tissue characteristics with MR imaging during an interventional procedure, unlike anything they’ve used before and without requiring a single X-ray.

For decades, interventional procedures have relied on X-ray fluoroscopy for guidance, which offers limited soft-tissue visualization while exposing patients and clinical staff to dangerous ionizing radiation. Sensor-based interventional tools and mapping systems have been developed over the years, for use with X-ray fluoroscopy, to provide some context of the heart’s geometry in an attempt to overcome what X-ray imaging cannot provide.

The NorthStar Mapping System fundamentally reframes what is possible by leveraging the full imaging power of MR to see the heart, to see the tissue characteristics of the heart, and to see the interventional tools within the heart, all throughout an entire procedure. NorthStar essentially transforms an MR system from being a “still camera” that takes pictures for someone to look at later into a “video camera” that is viewed and manipulated in real time during a procedure, and this is technology never before delivered to the clinical market.

In the words of Imricor’s VP of Global Sales, Greg Englehardt:
“Launching NorthStar in the U.S. marks a pivotal moment for Imricor as we enter the world’s most advanced and influential healthcare market. We are bringing a truly differentiated solution to physicians. NorthStar unlocks the full potential of interventional MR, which we call 'iMR,' with real-time soft-tissue visualization, real-time image manipulation, and zero radiation. Our U.S. commercial team is already generating demand and building a high-quality pipeline, and we are focused on rapidly converting that momentum into early adoption across key centers.”

Imricor’s CEO, Steve Wedan, added: “Imricor has pioneered the field of interventional MR, and we remain at the forefront of delivering a fully-realized ecosystem for cardiac interventional MR procedures. NorthStar is the clearest expression and realization of this vision. Interventional MR is here today, and at Imricor, We are iMR.”

Imricor will be showcasing the NorthStar Mapping System at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Annual Scientific Sessions, beginning April 24 in Chicago, Illinois. Attendees are encouraged to visit the Imricor booth to speak with the team and see firsthand how NorthStar is redefining cardiac mapping in the iMR suite.