Company: Seno Medical Instruments, Inc., San Antonio, TX
Entry Submitted By: Lazar Partners LTD
Company Description: Seno Medical Instruments, Inc. was formed to commercialize a new imaging technology known as Imagio that may potentially improve the accuracy of cancer diagnoses. Seno absolutely believes that Imagio technology represents a new category of medical imaging that could impact care to the similar degree that MRI and PET scan technology have since they were invented.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Consumer Products –11 to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Janet Campbell, CEO and Founder

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

After Janet Campbell’s beloved mother died of lung cancer, she dedicated herself to finding a technology that could have a significant impact on the fight against cancer and ultimately help save lives so other daughters, sons, mothers and fathers don’t have to watch their loved ones go through what her mother did.

Imagio, a new breast ultrasound modality, is the result of her efforts. The new technology combines traditional ultrasound with a new imaging technology based on light and sound called “opto-acoustics.” The opto-acoustic images provide a unique blood map in and around suspicious breast masses. Unlike other common imaging modalities, Imagio doesn’t expose patients to potentially harmful ionizing radiation (x-rays) or radioactive contrast agents.

Opto-acoustic imaging technology has been used as an animal research method for years introduced through Seno’s efforts, after Seno purchased the intellectual property rights. Janet also saw that such technology could have an incalculable impact on cancer care for patients in the clinical field. Janet dedicated herself to bringing together the team of experts who could make the technology work in a clinical setting to really make a difference for patients and healthcare systems around the world.

Today, after a woman finds a lump or a mass is detected through screening mammograms, she faces a battery of diagnostic tests including follow up mammograms, ultrasound and, if the tumor looks suspicious, a painful, invasive surgical or core needle breast biopsy.

The current diagnostic imaging techniques are quite good at helping radiologists find lumps, but it’s extremely difficult to tell if the tumor is cancerous until the biopsy is taken. Studies show that more than 80% of biopsies come back negative.

The company designed Imagio to change that paradigm. The technology allows radiologists to see two key physiological signs of cancer in addition to the anatomy: elaborate vessel networks – and blood that’s low in oxygen because the tumor is feeding off of it.

To date, the company has raised $58.3 capital, is entering a pivotal clinical trial at 16 sites – among them MD Anderson, Cleveland Clinic, NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center – and aims to bring the system to commercialization by 2014 in Europe.

Importantly, given the information Seno has to date, the company believes Imagio could also be a vital tool to help physicians diagnose, stage or rule out almost all soft tissue cancers, particularly prostate, thyroid and head and neck tumors.

Based on conversations with some of the top minds in radiology, Seno absolutely believes that Imagio technology represents a new category of medical imaging that could impact care to the similar degree that MRI and PET scan technology have since they were invented.

Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 125 words):

Janet Campbell, founder of Seno Medical Instruments, previously served as President and COO of InforMedix, Inc. and CEO of Mach Diagnostics, a venture-backed women’s health company. At Mach, she raised two rounds of capital and developed the national sales organization. She was founder and President of Health Tech, Inc., a cardiovascular technology company, where she negotiated licensing and joint venture agreements involving Fortune 500 and early-stage bioscience companies.

She was the healthcare partner of Rockecharlie & Co., an investment-banking firm and served as a consultant. Janet is a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Business Hall of Fame. She received her BA from the University of Missouri, where she was honored as Alumnus of the Year, and her MBA from Johns Hopkins.