Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) announced today that it partnered with Surgical Theater to offer an augmented reality platform for cranial procedures.
Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic will interface its StealthStation S8 surgical navigation system with Surgical Theater’s SyncAR technology in an effort to enable neurosurgeons to use AR in real-time to enhance their visualization during complex cranial procedures, according to a news release.
SyncAR is designed to allow surgeons to visualize brian structures, test virtual surgical tools and plan surgeries before entering the operating room through fighter-jet simulation technology. StealthStation S8 is designed to track surgical instruments and guide the user during procedures through hardware and clinical software with tracking and image dataset merging algorithms.
Integration of SyncAR into the StealthStation S8 cranial solution is set to give surgeons the opportunity to expand the benefits of AR and see a 360° AR rendering overlaid onto the live surgical site during brain surgeries for the first time, the companies say.
The combined technology is expected to increase precision and efficiency in complex cranial procedures, with surgeons set to gain the ability to see otherwise hidden anatomical and vascular structures, pathologies and diffusion tensor imaging.
“Medtronic’s partnership with Surgical Theater expands the utility of cutting-edge AR planning technology, so that surgeons can use it in real-time to improve visualization during brain surgeries, which has the potential to make procedures more precise and efficient,” Medtronic VP & GM of enabling technologies within the cranial & spinal technologies business Linnea Burman said in the release. “We are thrilled to partner with Surgical Theater as we strive to transform cranial procedures and improve outcomes by providing surgeons with access to innovative technologies.”
“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,” added Surgical Theater CEO & co-founder Moty Avisar. “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.”