LUNAR CORP.'S ARTOSCAN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGER FOR EXTREMITIES
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
LUNAR CORP.'S ARTOSCAN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGER FOR EXTREMITIES will be launched in late November at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago. Cleared by FDA via a 510(k) the week of Oct. 11 the device is "the only magnetic resonance imager currently available that is dedicated for extremities," the firm says in an Oct. 19 release. Artoscan "has been optimized for imaging knees, ankles, feet, wrists and elbows," the firm states, noting that these examinations "comprise 20-30% of the caseload performed on a typical MRI system." Unlike standard whole body MRI systems, which require the patient to lie inside the device, Artoscan requires that a patient only insert the leg or arm being imaged into the device. "This eliminates claustrophobic rejection and maximizes patient comfort." Lunar is targeting marketing of the device to group practices, health maintenance organizations, clinics and small hospitals, focusing particularly on providers with a significant volume of orthopedic patients. The device will be marketed by a dedicated sales force that the company plans to begin hiring at the end of November. Both cost and space requirements of Artoscan are being highlighted by Lunar. Artoscan will be priced at "less than $400,000," including installation, making it under half the price of typical MRI units, the company estimates. The Artoscan system "occupies only 48 square feet of floor space," whereas standard MRI units require between three and ten times as much floor space, the company says. The minimal floor space requirements eliminate the need for "special siting." Other companies developing smaller/lower cost MRI systems with dedicated functions include Magna-Lab, which is working on the Magna-SL Head and Extremity Scanner ("The Gray Sheet" Jan. 18, I&W-3). Artoscan is Lunar's first MRI product offering. Lunar licenses exclusive rights to distribute the device in the U.S. and Canada from Esaote Biomedica of Genoa, Italy, which developed and manufactures the product. With approximately $27 mil. in sales last year, Lunar currently markets bone densitometers and Vitamin D analogs for bone and other disorders; about two-thirds of the company's sales are from outside the U.S.