AngioDynamics’ NanoKnife System named to TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions List

AngioDynamics Inc. announced that its NanoKnife System has been recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 2025 Best Inventions, highlighting the device’s potential to reshape treatment for men with prostate cancer.

The annual TIME list celebrates innovations that are transforming how people live, work, and receive care. In its 25th edition, editors evaluated 300 breakthroughs across rapidly advancing fields such as health care, artificial intelligence, and green energy, focusing on originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

As TIME noted, the NanoKnife System “offers men with intermediate-risk cases of prostate cancer a minimally invasive option before doctors turn to radiation or other traditional cancer treatments that can damage nearby nerves.”

Recognized in the Medical and Healthcare category, the NanoKnife System uses Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) technology to precisely target and destroy cancerous cells while preserving surrounding healthy tissue. The system received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance in late 2024 for prostate tissue ablation.

“Recognition by TIME further underscores the importance of innovation that preserves the aspects of living that matter most to patients,” said Jim Clemmer, president and CEO of AngioDynamics. “We are incredibly proud of this recognition, and the growing body of clinical evidence supporting the safety, efficacy, and life-changing impact of the NanoKnife System.”

The company pointed to results from the PRESERVE study, published in European Urology in July, which evaluated IRE with the NanoKnife System in men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The multicenter trial enrolled 121 patients and demonstrated promising results: 84% were free from in-field, clinically significant disease 12 months after treatment, 96% retained urinary continence, and 84% maintained sexual function.

“These findings highlight our commitment to empowering physicians and patients with new, meaningful treatment options,” Clemmer said.

The TIME Best Inventions issue will be available on newsstands Dec. 12.

Advances in minimally invasive cancer therapies

The recognition of technologies like the NanoKnife System reflects a broader shift toward minimally invasive approaches in cancer care. Over the past decade, researchers and clinicians have increasingly sought ways to destroy tumors without the collateral damage associated with surgery, radiation, or traditional thermal ablation.

Irreversible Electroporation, which uses electrical pulses to disrupt cancer cell membranes, is one of several emerging non-thermal techniques gaining traction. Unlike heat-based methods such as radiofrequency or microwave ablation, IRE can spare nearby nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues—making it especially valuable for treating cancers in sensitive areas like the prostate, liver, and pancreas.

In parallel, advances in imaging and robotics are improving the precision of these procedures. Real-time MRI and ultrasound fusion imaging allow physicians to visualize tumors with greater accuracy, while robotic-assisted delivery systems enhance control during ablation. These technologies reduce recovery time, lower complication risks, and improve patients’ quality of life.

Clinical research is also expanding rapidly. Trials are exploring the combination of ablation techniques with immunotherapy or targeted drugs to enhance tumor destruction and stimulate the body’s immune response. Meanwhile, ongoing studies are examining how non-thermal ablation can be used in repeat treatments or integrated into personalized cancer care plans.

As regulatory approvals and reimbursement frameworks catch up with technological progress, experts expect these minimally invasive approaches to become part of mainstream oncology practice—potentially redefining how early- and mid-stage cancers are managed in the years ahead.