System for Image-Guided Surgery

A positioning system for the body allows surgeons to use preoperative diagnostic images from computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize and track the position of surgical instruments intraoperatively via a touch-screen interface, allowing them to perform safer, less-invasive procedures with shorter recovery times.

The system, called Vector-Vision, consists of a navigational software package, combined with specialized infrared cameras and wireless technology. In addition to providing navigation for cranial and ear-nose-throat surgeries, Vector-Vision also supports precise placement of screws in the spine and provides navigation for total knee and hip replacements. A wireless laser pointer called z-touch allows the surgeon to map the surface anatomy of each patient's face or head to calculate an advanced surface-matching algorithm prior to surgery, which will be used to calculate exactly where the patient's head and anatomy are in three dimensions.

Vector-Vision is the product of BrainLab (Munich, Germany). The company demonstrated the new technology at the annual meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in San Diego (CA, USA).




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BrainLab