FDA clears microwave ablation system for removing soft tissues like thyroid nodules

The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared a microwave ablation system for removing soft tissues like thyroid nodules.

Thyroid nodules occur among 30% to 50% of the United States population. Like most thyroid conditions, nodules are more common among women than men, with an increased incidence observed with advancing age. By the age of 60, more than half of women will have developed a thyroid nodule. Historically, treatment involving excision or therapy resulted in discomfort and inconvenience for patients. In contrast to these traditional approaches, Baird Medical has leveraged significant recent technological advances to develop a minimally invasive, thermal energy-based procedure (the "Procedure") to treat thyroid nodules, breast tumors, and other diseases for which the coagulation (ablation) of soft tissues is indicated. The Company's approach eliminates the need for surgery, thereby mitigating associated complications, risks, and scarring for the majority of patients.

During the Procedure, therapeutic microwave energy is safely administered via a device approximately the diameter of a pen. This minimally invasive treatment precisely targets the nodule or tumor being treated, while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue. This precision is crucial, as it safeguards the function of the thyroid and reduces the likelihood that a patient will require expensive, lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapy.