Picker's ViewPoint cleared for spine use

Picker International of Cleveland has received 510(k) clearance for spinal applications of its second-generation ViewPoint image-guided surgery system, which enables surgeons to correlate patient anatomy with CT or MR images. ViewPoint can prove useful in complex spinal procedures such as fractures, neoplasms, and deformities, and the clearance is a major boost to the ViewPoint distribution agreement Picker signed earlier this year with spinal implant firm DePuy Motech of Warsaw, IN (SCAN 2/19/97). Picker received 510(k) clearance in January for intracranial applications of the second-generation ViewPoint, which uses optical sensors to register the position of probes relative to CT or MR images.