High fidelity brain-computer interfaces generally require the placement of an implant beneath the skull, a highly invasive and potentially dangerous procedure. A new device, developed at the University of Melbourne in Australia, combines the ease of delivery of a vascular stent with the capabilities of a neural array, and it is about to be tried [& (Read more...)
Tag: Neurosurgery
FluoroShield Reduces Radiation Exposure from Fluoroscopes, Gets FDA Clearance
Radiation reduction continues to be an important goal in electrophysiology labs, cath labs, and other interventional rooms. To advance this mission, the FDA just gave clearance to Omega Medical Imaging, a company out of Sanford, Florida, for its FluoroShield radiation exposure reduction system. The FluoroShield uses a very fast collimator coupled w (Read more...)
New CNS Drug Delivery System by Alcyone Lifesciences Given Breakthrough Designation by FDA
Alcyone Lifesciences recently obtained Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for their novel implantable intrathecal bolus drug delivery catheter and port system, the ThecaFlex DRx System. The system is intended for use in conditions that require prolonged medication administration directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), such as some ca (Read more...)
Bioreactors Inside Body Grow New Bones for Transplantation
Injuries and disease often necessitate putting something in place of where natural bone is. While there are custom-made artificial orthopedic implants and native bone grafts, researchers from Rice University have now shown a new and better way. The team printed in 3D a bioreactor mold within which new bone can grow. It is made to be […]
(Read more...)FundamentalVR Integrates HaptX Gloves Into Virtual Reality Surgical Trainer
FundamentalVR, a company that makes virtual reality training tools for medical education, has integrated the HaptX Gloves into its Fundamental Surgery platform. Fundamental surgery can be used on different computers and with a variety of virtual reality headsets and haptic tools. Most systems that can provide a sense of touch have relied on pointer (Read more...)
ARTIS icono Biplane Angiography System Unveiled by Siemens Healthineers
Siemens Healthineers has unveiled its ARTIS icono biplane angiography system at the 2019 European Congress of Radiology in Vienna, Austria. The system is particularly suited for neuroradiology procedures, such as removing stroke-causing blood clots, thanks to improved 2D and 3D imaging that can also lower the amount of radiation delivered (Read more...)
SafeOp Automated Neuromonitor Cleared to Find Nerves, Assess Their Health
Alphatec, out of Carsbad, California, won FDA clearance for the SafeOp automated neuromonitoring system for use in real-time intraoperative nerve location and assessment. The system relies on somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and and electromyography (EMG) as the two complementary modalities, one for evaluating the functionality of ne (Read more...)
Axonics Sacral Neuromodulation for Urinary and Fecal Dysfunctions Cleared for MRI in Europe
Implanting a medical device often means giving up the opportunity to receive MRI scans in the future. This can be particularly true of complex electronic implants that may be negatively influenced by strong magnetic fields. Things are changing, though, as companies are engineering a way out of this dilemma. Axonics, based in Irvine, California, won (Read more...)
Philips Envisions Use of Augmented Reality in Operating Room (Video)
The Microsoft HoloLens is an impressive augmented reality (AR) system that lets the user overlay graphics over the visual scene in front. Philips is partnering with Microsoft to bring this technology to the operating room, and it has released a “concept” that foreshadows how AR can be used for image-guided minimally invasive therapies. (Read more...)
Philips Unveils New Zenition Surgical C-Arms
Philips is releasing a new mobile surgical C-arm designed to improve efficiency in the operating room. The Philips Zenition sports a tablet-like interface that runs the same Unify software across the various versions of the Zenition and is similar to what appears in some other radiological equipment from Philips, allowing operators to quickly learn (Read more...)
Medtronic Introducing Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy Control in U.S.
Medtronic is introducing in the United States its deep brain stimulation therapy (DBS) as an option for treating drug-resistant epilepsy. About a third of epilepsy patients don’t respond positively to existing drug regimens, leaving patients with little recourse against the disease. DBS therapy involves delivering small pulses of electr (Read more...)
Highly Dexterous Prosthetic Arm Gives Users Sensations
A woman in Sweden became the first person in the world to receive an osseo-neuromuscular hand prosthesis that is impressively accurate and that can even transmit sensations back to its user. The device is integrated with the patient’s remaining natural arm unlike anything else out there. It is the culmination of the DeTOP (Dexterous Transradi (Read more...)
Tumor Monorail Lures Brain Tumor Cells Toward Death, Now FDA Breakthrough Device
Brain tumors are extremely difficult to treat due to their hard-to-access location and because the blood-brain barrier prevents most drugs from reaching their targets. A new device called “Tumor Monorail,” which cajoles tumors to crawl into a container, just received the FDA’s “breakthrough” designation. The new d (Read more...)
Pipeline Flex Embolization Device Approved for Small and Medium Brain Aneurysms
Medtronic won FDA approval for its Pipeline Flex embolization device to be used on patients with small or medium wide-necked brain aneurysms anywhere between the petrous and the terminus of the internal carotid artery. Previously, the device was only indicated for individuals with large or giant wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. The Pipeline Flex (Read more...)
Sony Unveils New Microsurgery HD Video Camera
Sony is releasing a new two-piece full HD surgical video camera intended for a variety of settings, including surgical centers and exam rooms. The device is particularly effective in low-light applications, such as ophthalmic posterior surgical procedures and other situations where direct light is hard to place within the depths of a surgical scene (Read more...)
Scientists Translate Brain Signals Into Speech
Our brain signals are a window into our souls. More broadly, brain-computer interfaces that read those signals and accompanying algorithms that process the signals are the windows. Researchers at Columbia University have been working on trying to understand what our brains are thinking about, and in particular interpreting the signals produced by t (Read more...)
Medtronic Releases Mazor X Stealth Edition Robot for Spinal Surgeries
Medtronic, having recently acquired Mazor Robotics, an Israeli spinal surgery firm, just announced the launch of the Mazor X Stealth Edition in the United States. The system provides planning, workflow, procedural execution, and confirmation capabilities to accurately place instruments and tools during spinal surgeries. “It is rare that (Read more...)
Boston Sci’s Vercise Gevia Deep Brain Stimulators for Parkinson’s Now Available in U.S.
Boston Scientific is releasing its Vercise Primary Cell (PC) and Vercise Gevia deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems in the U.S. Both have received recent FDA approval to be used in managing symptoms of Parkinson’s, as well as European regulatory clearance for Parkinson’s, dystonia, and essential tremor. The devices featur (Read more...)
Crescent Vision Dual-Camera Headband for Surgeons: CES 2019
Many surgical procedures are difficult to teach in practice because few people can gather around an operating table. Particularly with highly detailed surgeries, it is difficult to work on vessels and other anatomical structures while letting others have a good view of the scene as well. Crescent Tech, a Dutch firm, is developing a special [&hellip (Read more...)
Nevro High Frequency Neurostimulation for Pain Control: CES 2019
Electrical neurostimulators may look alike and even work similarly to each other, but differences in how their energy is delivered can have significant effect on a therapy’s effectiveness. Nevro, a Silicon Valley company, has developed a high frequency spinal cord stimulation technology that avoids some of the common problems associated with (Read more...)