Bristol-Myers公司得到热成像心导管技术

美迪医疗网成扬报道：美国Bristol-Myers Squibb医学影像公司(N. Billerica, MA, USA)从英国Thermocore医学公司(Guildford, UK)获得了新型冠状动脉内热成像导管系统的全球所有权，该系统通过描记冠状动脉内温度变化差异来检查易损斑块。具体交易情况没有公布。

易损斑块破裂可以触发血凝块的形成，从而阻断流向心肌的血流，导致心肌梗塞发作或者心源性猝死。该导管系统通过将一系列敏感的温度探头整合在导管系统的末端，从而获得冠状动脉内部的热成像图谱。通过描记这些温度变化差异，能够在斑块破裂形成血凝块之前对斑块进行鉴别和定位。

该系统的初期研发工作是由Thermocore医学公司完成的。而根据协议，Bristol-Myers Squibb医学影像公司获得了在全球范围内研发、制造以及将Thermocore所拥有的平台技术与热成像导管系统商业化的权力。

“Thermocore公司的新技术平台是对冠状动脉内易损斑块进行鉴别和诊断的重大突破。”Bristol-Myers Squibb医学影像公司的总裁Cory Zwerling说，“我们希望进一步开发这种前途光明的技术，使得早期干预处于危险的患者以及改善他们的预后成为可能。”

Bristol-Myers Gets Rights to Thermographic Catheter
 
The worldwide rights to a novel intracoronary thermographic catheter system designed to detect vulnerable plaque by mapping temperature variations inside the coronary arteries have been acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging (N. Billerica, MA, USA) from Thermocore Medical Ltd. (Guildford, UK). Financial terms were not disclosed.

When vulnerable plaque ruptures, it can trigger the formation of blood clots that, in turn, can obstruct blood flow to the heart muscle and lead to a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. The catheter system provides a thermal imaging map of the interior of coronary arteries by incorporating a series of sensitive temperature sensors into the distal end of the catheter system. Mapping of these temperature differentials could potentially identify and localize plaque before it ruptures and creates blood clots.

The initial development work on the catheter system was done by Thermocore Medical. Under the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging has the worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize Thermocore’s proprietary platform technology and its thermographic catheter system.

“Thermocore’s novel technology platform could represent an important advance in the identification and characterization of vulnerable plaque in the coronary arteries,” noted Cory Zwerling, president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging. “We are looking forward to further defining the potential of this promising technology in hopes of facilitating earlier intervention and improved outcomes for patients at risk.”