The partnership will allow neurosurgeons to use AR technology in real-time to improve visualisation during complex cranial procedures
Medtronic Operational Headquarters in Fridley, Minnesota, USA. (Credit: Group29 at English Wikipedia)
Medtronic has entered into a partnership with Surgical Theater to offer an augmented reality platform for use in real-time during complex cranial procedures.
Under the deal, Surgical Theater’s SyncAR augmented reality (AR) technology will be combined with Medtronic’s StealthStation S8 surgical navigation system.
The partnership will allow neurosurgeons to use AR technology in real-time to improve visualisation during complex cranial procedures.
The SyncAR platform uses fighter-jet simulation technology to enable surgeons to visualise structures in the brain, test virtual surgical tools and plan surgeries.
By synchronising with Medtronic’s StealthStation S8 navigation system and microscope optics, Surgical Theater’s SyncAR technology is said to deliver advanced tools to help surgeons complete complicated procedures with increased precision and efficiency.
A combination of StealthStation S8 and SyncAR technology will allow surgeons to view hidden anatomical and vascular structures, pathologies, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) white matter tracts synchronised and aligned to the surgeon’s operative view.
In addition, the integrated solution allows to see a 360° AR rendering, which is created from the patient’s scans, overlaid onto the live surgical site during brain surgeries.
Surgical Theater CEO and co-founder Moty Avisar said: “We believe by combining Medtronic’s market-leading surgical navigation, and Surgical Theater’s trailblazing visualization capabilities, SyncAR technology now offers the most comprehensive solution for neurosurgical planning, workflow and operative execution.
“SyncAR technology does not stop at planning and navigation; we open the skull, provide surgeons with x-ray vision of the anatomy and play an integral role throughout the operative workflow.”
By combining hardware and clinical software with tracking and image dataset merging algorithms, the StealthStation S8 navigation system enables to accurately track surgical instruments and help guide the user during surgical procedures.
Surgical Theater’s SyncAR 360° Visualisation Hub provides surgeons live and synchronised augmentation including vascular structures, pathology, and white matter tracts aligned to their surgical field of view.
In January this year, Medtronic started the trial of its adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) therapy with Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.