ImpediMed Limited has announced the U.S. commercial launch of its L-Dex® system to aid in the clinical assessment of lymphedema. This follows a successful pilot program involving six U.S. cancer centers, a dedicated CPT® Category I code enabling physicians to seek reimbursement beginning in January 2015, and a revised, unencumbered Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance in May 2013. L-Dex is the first product of its kind to utilize bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), a non-invasive system for accurately measuring tissue composition and fluid status, to identify lymphedema up to 10 months before there is evidence of limb swelling.

Early detection and subsequent intervention may help prevent the progression of the disease and, in some instances, even reverse it. Through electrodes placed on the arm and leg, L-Dex sends a small, imperceptible current using 256 frequency spectra through tissue measuring extracellular fluid. Using a scoring system, oncologists, breast cancer surgeons and other healthcare providers can determine in seconds the amount of resistance from one point to the other and identify the onset of extracellular fluid accumulation, which may assist in the identification of lymphedema at an earlier point in time.