High-Definition Endoscopic Ultrasound Technology Enhances Diagnostic Procedures

Physicians can now provide potentially safer and more accurate diagnostic procedures with high-definition endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) needle technology.

Cook Medical (Bloomington, IN,USA), a supplier of endoscopic medical devices, has designed a complete line of high-definition EUS biopsy needles that are up to three-times brighter than others on the market. With the addition of the 19- and 25-gage EchoTip Ultra with high-definition fine needle aspiration (HDFNA) needles, the EchoTip Ultra HDFNA represents the next level of precision in EUS, an essential diagnostic tool that yields more accurate images of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract than traditional ultrasound and provides minimally invasive access to areas that are traditionally difficult to reach.

"This needle is very high contrast and easy to see within targeted lesions,” said John M. DeWitt, M.D., from Indiana University-Purdue University (Indianapolis, USA), "This permits confidence for the endosonographers that the lesion is being accurately targeted.”

During an EUS procedure, the endosonographer inserts an endoscope, which has a small ultrasound transducer at its tip, through the patient's mouth into the esophagus, facilitating imaging from within the GI tract. EUS also enables tissue sampling through fine-needle aspiration (FNA), a safer and less invasive alternative to open surgical biopsy. Under ultrasound guidance, a special needle inserted in the endoscope collects cells from targeted sites.

Cook Medical's EchoTip Ultra with HDFNA is a single-use, disposable needle intended for sampling of targeted submucosal GI lesions through the accessory channel of an ultrasound endoscope. The needle surface is dimpled with a high-definition pattern that greatly improves its visibility on an ultrasound monitor. This highly echogenic design provides increased assurance that the needle tip is within the target. With traditional EUS-guided FNA, multiple passes are usually necessary in order to get an accurate sample; with the enhanced visibility of EchoTip Ultra HDFNA needles, specimens can be obtained with potentially fewer needle sticks.

EchoTip Ultra with HDFNA has all the advantages of the original EchoTip Ultra products, with an integrated sheath adjuster that makes the needles compatible with a full range of echoendoscopes and an ergonomically designed handle integrated with a nitinol stylet for precise needle control, stability, and flexibility. The safety lock ring easily slides and locks at the desired needle extension and a "Zero” reference mark indicates the needle's complete retraction within the sheath. In addition, EchoTip Ultra's metal Luer lock provides a secure, stable platform for performing EUS procedures.

"Cook is the proven leader in the nearly twenty-year-old EUS market, offering the most advanced and widest variety of exclusive endoscopic devices,” said Barry Slowey, vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for the Endoscopy strategic business unit of Cook Medical. "We believe the improved visibility experienced with the EchoTip Ultra with HDFNA represents the next generation of EUS devices.”

Cook Medical is focused on developing technology that is leading to the widespread acceptance of EUS in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

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