Magna-Lab Inc, a developer of non- and minimally-invasive products designed to make MRI technology more effective for the detection and diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), announced that U.S. Patent Number 6,437,569 with 33 claims for its Illuminator Probe has been allowed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The inventors of record include Lawrence A. Minkoff, from Magna-Lab and Valentin Fuster, Meir Shinnar, Zahi A. Fayad, Juan J. Badimon, all from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The Company, through assignment and license, has acquired all of the commercial rights to this patent. Dr. Minkoff, Magna-Lab Inc.'s Founder, is an original pioneer and continuing innovator in the development of MRI technology.

The Illuminator Probe is a non-invasive, expandable MRI receiving coil to advance the definitive diagnosis of coronary artery and other heart diseases. The Illuminator Probe is designed to operate in conjunction with existing MRI Systems to generate diagnostic quality images of the major structures of the heart including the aortic arch, the descending aorta, and the coronary vessels of the heart. This device consists of an MRI micro receiver coil that is introduced in the patient's esophagus, using local anesthesia, and positioned directly behind the heart. The placement of the receiver closer to the heart significantly increases the "signal to noise " ratio that provides the contrasting resolution needed for the optimum imaging of the tiny structures of the heart.

The Illuminator Probe can be used in conjunction with Magna-Lab's non-invasive Illuminator Surface Coil?, which sits on top of a patient's chest while undergoing an MRI, to maximize the image clarity for certain diagnoses.