The esophagus remains somewhat of a mystery to gastroenterologists, particularly regarding the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus, a cellular change in the lining of the esophagus caused by chronic injury due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Barrett’s is potentially a precursor to deadly esophageal cancer. But the progression from Barrett’s to cancer can be slow or even stalled. Physicians can’t be certain which patients will become the sickest, so protocol requires regular endoscopic screening with white-light probes and many biopsies taken from the esophageal wall to determine whether the disease is progressing.
NinePoint Medical Looks Deep For Barrett’s Esophagus
NinePoint Medical Inc. is looking to shed some insights on the mysteries of the esophagus. The venture-backed start-up launched NvisionVLE, an imaging system that can produce real-time images of the esophagus, enabling gastroenterologists to see where they need to cut when performing biopsies of tests of worrisome esophageal tissue including Barrett’s esophagus.