MEDTRONIC ACQUIRES IMAGE-GUIDED NEUROLOGICS

Minneapolis-acquired Medtronic has announced that its acquisition of Image-Guided Neurologics (IGN) of Melbourne, Fla., a privately held company that specializes in precision navigation and delivery technologies for brain surgery. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Medtronic says the IGN product line, which includes the NexFrame disposable, "frameless" stereotactic head frame, offers instruments that simplify the procedure for surgeons and improve patient comfort during surgery. The company added NexFrame replaces a heavier frame with a small, disposable guidance device that is more comfortable, less stressful on the neck and allows the patient to move and change positions during surgery.

Because the frame is disposable, says Medtronic, the need to sterilize and reset the traditional frame system is eliminated, giving surgeons the opportunity to perform multiple operations each day.