Avantis Medical Systems’ Third Eye Retroscope
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Expanded indication for the colon cancer detection tool gains 510(k) clearance, supporting a claim for increased detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous polyps in the colon when used in conjunction with colonoscopy, the firm announces Feb. 17. The device, initially cleared in April 2007, provides physicians a backward view of the colon that complements the forward view of the colonoscope to help them visualize blind spots in the colon where cancers may be hiding, the firm explains. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company recently raised $10 million in a "Series C" financing to help fund a rollout of the device this year, as well as to establish U.S. centers of excellence to facilitate the launch, to collect additional data supporting clinical utility, and for sales and marketing efforts (1"The Gray Sheet" Jan. 26, 2009, p.20)