Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Kappametrics Inc. Appoints Healthcare Industry Veteran Jay D. Miller CEO

Company Pioneering Imaging Technology for Diagnosis of Chronic Brain Disorders

Taps Executive with 25 years of Imaging-Related Experience

CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kappametrics Inc., a medical technology company pioneering technology to enable the real-time collection of EEG data during fMRI scans of the brain, has named Jay D. Miller president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Kappametrics’ flagship product, fEEG™, employs patent-pending technology to capture electroencephalography (EEG) data concurrently with functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) to provide more detailed mapping of brain activity. fMRI scans capture spatial images of the brain while EEGs record electrical activity of brain cells. The availability of combined EEG and fMRI data would provide physicians with valuable information to improve the understanding and diagnosis of chronic neurological disorders. Each year, more than 10 million Americans are evaluated for various brain disorders. Kappametrics’ initial market for fEEG™, pending FDA marketing clearance, is academic and clinical research.

“I’m thrilled to be part of a company with such great technology and growth potential,” Miller said. “Our mission is to bring Kappametrics technology to the marketplace as soon as we can to help address serious neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease and chronic pain. John Zett, chief operating officer, has done a terrific job leading Kappametrics to where it is today, and I’m excited about working with him to advance this much-needed technology.”

Mark Muth, Kappametrics board chair, noted Miller is well suited for this new role with his background as a medical imaging executive. “Jay is a proven leader who builds strong customer relations, fosters collaboration and has an ability to raise funds to drive Kappametrics’ growth.”

Zett added, “I’m delighted to team with Jay to move the company forward. Kappametrics will benefit from his background in medical imaging, experience with emerging companies and contacts in the investment community.”

Miller brings 25 years of medical technology experience to Kappametrics. Most recently, he was an independent healthcare consultant for approximately 10 healthcare companies. Previously, he was chief executive officer of Minneapolis-based Vital Images (Nasdaq: VTAL), a leading provider of advanced visualization software solutions. After joining Vital Images in 1997 as vice president of marketing and business development, Miller was named CEO in 2002. During his tenure, Miller presided over the company’s growth to $70 million in revenue in 2007 from $15 million in 2001, and workforce growth to more than 300 employees from fewer than 25 employees. Prior to Vital Images, Miller served in a range of strategic and marketing positions for General Electric Medical Systems from 1989 to 1997 and Siemens Medical Systems from 1986 to 1988.

In addition, Miller currently serves on the board of directors of publicly held Streamline Health Solutions (Nasdaq: STRM), as well as on the boards of the Midwest Division of the American Cancer Society and the Coulter Foundation at the University of Virginia. Miller received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Dartmouth College, a master’s in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He has also garnered several awards, including medical imaging “CEO of the Year” from Frost & Sullivan in 2004 and Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the Minnesota and Dakotas region in 2005.

About fEEG™
Kappametrics’ breakthrough fEEG™ technology employs innovative noise cancellation techniques to eliminate the large radio frequency, electrostatic and magnetic noise induced on the EEG signals by the fMRI scanner, thereby enabling the real-time collection of physiologic EEG data during fMRI scans. The system will help ensure the integrity of the EEG signal by dramatically improving the signal to noise ratio of the data at the source prior to digitization, while also removing ballistocardiogram and other artifacts, to provide concurrent acquisition of EEG data during fMRI imaging. The fEEG™ system’s user-friendly design and simultaneous imaging capabilities are expected to offer cost and efficiency benefits for academic researchers and clinicians.

About Kappametrics
Kappametrics Inc., a private medical technology company based in Chantilly, Va., was established in 2004 after its spin-out from Unilever, with a vision to develop innovative solutions to address the problems of data acquisition in functional MRI environments. After nine years of research and development, Kappametrics is finalizing the development of its fEEG™ noise cancellation technology, and plans to submit an application to the FDA for 510k marketing clearance in the near future. For further information, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.kappametrics.com.

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