Cook Medical's EchoTip ProCore High Definition Ultrasound Biopsy Needle, designed for use with an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) scope, may help to overcome limitations of current EUS methods for biopsies of lesions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and surrounding tissue, according to results from a multicenter European study.

The study indicated that Cook Medical’s 19-gauge EchoTip ProCore High Definition Ultrasound Biopsy Needle can aid pathologists in diagnosing multiple types of cancers in a variety of target tissues.

The EchoTip ProCore needle is designed to access difficult-to-reach tissue in areas of the GI tract such as the pancreatic head.

In the five-center study the 19-gauge EchoTip ProCore retrieved adequate histological tissue samples in 89.5% of cases, and subsequent diagnosis proved accurate in more than 85% of total cases.

The overall accuracy for detecting malignancy in EchoTip ProCore samples was greater than 92%.

Cook Medical Endoscopy business unit leader Barry Slowey said the technology helps in obtaining histological yields with the EchoTip ProCore and further aid physicians in the early diagnosis and treatment of GI disorders.