Veran Medical Technologies' new SPiN Drive platform upgrade allows clinicians to target locations deep within the lung, enabling early diagnosis and treatment staging of cancer tumors, without radiation.
December 19, 2011 — Veran Medical Technologies announced the release of its SPiN Drive platform upgrade for bi-planar virtual fluoroscopy view used to navigate multiple planes simultaneously. This advancement is the first of its kind in pulmonology; it enables physicians to view the location of the Always-On Tip Tracked instrument in a fluoro-like view without any radiation being delivered to the patient, physician or staff.
"The significance of targeting solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) without radiation is exciting," said Alexander C. Chen, M.D., of Washington University, St. Louis. "The virtual fluoroscopic view provides images that the majority of bronchoscopists utilize while targeting solitary pulmonary nodules, without the radiation exposure. Additionally, the ability to map airways during procedures may provide a significant advantage towards targeting SPNs."
Lung cancer is a deadly disease that mortally claims 85 percent of patients within five years. Diagnosing it at Stage I improves survival chances significantly. Due to the 69 million computed tomography (CT) scans that occur annually in the United States, inadvertent lung cancer screening is occurring.
However, SPNs in the peripheral lung are inaccessible with today's techniques and technologies, leaving patients on "watchful waiting" protocols of repeat CT scanning. This causes significant patient anxiety and unproductive costs added to the U.S. healthcare system.
Veran's SPiN Drive product acts as a GPS-like system to enable pulmonologists and surgeons to access SPNs and immediately diagnose malignancy, end watchful waiting and reduce healthcare spending.
For more information: www.veranmedical.com
September 09, 2026 
