| Press Release December 11th, 2006 |
| Official Start of Leakless Vertebral Reposition Therapy (LVRT) Project |
| International Consortium Headed by SOMATEX® Develops New Osteoporosis Pain Therapy |
Teltow, December 11, 2006. The development of the "Leakless Vertebral Reposition Therapy" (LVRT) is a significant step to stop pain due to vertebral fractures. The LVRT project initiated by Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and SOMATEX is subsidized by the European Union in the context of its CRAFT programme.
"The cooperation between SOMATEX, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and the EU significantly contributes to a closer linkage between scientists, researchers and high-tech experts", remarks Brandenburg’s Minister of the Interior, Jörg Schönbohm, on the occasion of the project’s official start on November 30, 2006 in Teltow. Dr. Urs Schneider of the Fraunhofer Technologie Entwicklungsgruppe (TEG) in Stuttgart also emphasized the increasing importance of cooperating and networking in medical technology in particular: "Nowadays, medical technology products can practically no longer be developed by one single team, one institute or company. Progress in medical technology can only be made if teams with different skills understand each other and work together closely in this field." In the case of the LVRT project, the development consortium consists of seven companies and three research institutes located in six different countries.
In particular, the LVRT will allow to treat vertebral fractures due to an osteoporosis-related reduction of the patient’s bone substance. The therapy is meant to stop resulting pain. Furthermore, this method is used to reposition broken vertebral bodies and shall prevent a deformation of the spinal column. "The LVRT’s primary goal is to avoid unwanted cement leakage from the vertebral body which can happen when applying conventional methods of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty", explains Thammo Weise, LVRT Project Head of SOMATEX Medical Technologies. He adds: "It is planned to complete the LVRT project and have a prototype ready in two years from now."
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About Cooperative Research Action for Technology (CRAFT)
The CRAFT project is part of the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. It aims at promoting a Europe-wide knowledge transfer from research institutes to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Support is granted to the pre-competitive development of innovative products by a consortium of at least two research service providers and at least three small or medium-sized enterprises being located in different countries in Europe.
About Fraunhofer Technologie Entwicklungsgruppe (TEG)
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft is the leading organization of applied research in Germany. Research is conducted by its 58 research institutes at 80 locations throughout Germany. Fraunhofer Technologie Entwicklungsgruppe (TEG) in Stuttgart represents the development expert of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in the areas of product development, production technology, management, strategy and organization. In the context of the LVRT project, TEG also acts as interface of the two participating institutes, i.e. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) based in Jena and Fraunhofer Institute for Thin Films and Surface Engineering (IST) in Brunswick. |
Information on SOMATEX®
The company SOMATEX® Medical Technologies GmbH specializes in the development and manufacturing of disposable minimally invasive instruments in the areas of tumor ablation, vertebroplasty, biopsy and oncology.
In addition to the manufacturing of standard instruments for diagnostic and therapeutical procedures, SOMATEX® develops innovative special products and new instruments based on what treating physicians precisely need. Since 1992, the company constantly develops new medical therapy concepts and realizes them in their products in close cooperation with physicians, hospitals and university clinics. Its focus is set on methods and instruments allowing minimally invasive operations using magnetic resonance imaging. In the past few years, the SOMATEX® has also intensified its activities aiming at the development of new procedures and instruments used to treat painful vertebral compression fractures, for example caused by osteoporosis.
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Press Contact
unlimited communications berlin
Mr. Torsten Krüger
Rosenthalerstr. 40/41
D-10178 Berlin
Tel. 030 / 280078-63
E-Mail: tkrueger@ucm.de
Contact SOMATEX
SOMATEX Medical Technologies GmbH
Ms. Anja Schlicht
Rheinstr. 7d
D-14513 Teltow
Tel +49 (0) 3328 / 30 76-12
E-Mail: a.schlicht@SOMATEX.com
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