September 16, 2008 - National Instruments has selected the Visica 2 Treatment System as the Humanitarian Application of the Year at the first-ever Graphical System Design Achievement Awards held recently as part of the NIWeek conference in Austin, TX.
The Visica System is a minimally invasive cryotechnology device cleared for market by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of fibroadenomas, a common benign breast condition found in at least 10 percent of all women in the U.S. The procedure uses cryoablation, or extreme cold, to destroy tumors without requiring stitches or general anesthesia. The office-based procedure, which usually takes less than 30 minutes, involves placing a small needle into the center of the tumor using ultrasound guidance. The System creates very cold temperatures at the needle tip, freezing the fibroadenoma, damaging the tumor cells and causing them to break down to prevent re-growth.
Visica 2 provides women with a treatment option for their fibroadenomas that safely and effectively treats the lump in their breast. The Visica 2 Treatment System uses liquid nitrogen as the freezing agent, obviating the need for large, high-pressure tanks of argon and helium used in the original Visica Treatment System. Because nitrogen operates at colder temperatures than argon, it reportedly allows for a more efficient, faster treatment. The procedure can be completed in the physician's office, with most treatment times under 30 minutes.
More than 110 authors from 13 countries submitted papers for the Graphical System Design Achievement Awards. A judging committee of more than 30 technical publication editors and NI experts judged papers submitted across 10 application categories.
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