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Minimally invasive IntraCranial Access (MICA)

Enabling safer and more precise brain surgeries

The brain is notoriously difficult to access. Surgical access to the brain is however essential to deliver therapeutics, to perform biopsies or to place intracranial electrodes.

The MICA team is working with clinical and industry partners to develop innovations to overcome current limitations in accessing the brain:

Neuro Access^TM sets a new standard for safely and accurately reaching targets in the brain.
Clee^TM enables precise administration of biologics and drugs to the brain.

These innovations hold the promise of significantly enhancing patient care by enabling safer and more precise brain surgery procedures.

Surgical vision with micro-precision

Neuro Access system prototype, including re-usable capital equipment and single patient use disposables.

Neuro Access is a minimally invasive versatile surgical tool. It integrates innovative imaging and sensing technology to provide unparalleled access, vision and navigation within the brain.

Precise targeting of specific regions is crucial for achieving successful outcomes of stereotactic neurosurgical procedures. Neuro Access is an advanced robot-assisted tool that enables surgeons to instantly see detailed images of the brain’s structure and blood vessels during surgery using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).

Real-time information boosts the effectiveness and the safety of the procedure, giving surgeons increased confidence in navigating the brain with precision. It leverages machine learning and AI to predict outcomes and to provide guidance, enhancing safety and effectiveness across all applications.

Neuro Access works alongside existing neurosurgical equipment and can be easily incorporated into current surgical routines.

Precise

30µm intraoperative resolution

Enables

All stereotactic & functional neurosurgeries

Safety

Real time guidance through machine learning and AI

An image-guided robot-assisted surgical tool

Once inside the skull, the OCT Probe provides a unique real-time view of the brain during surgery. Designed to minimize the risk of hemorrhage while showcasing the surrounding neuroanatomy, it reveals the route ahead as well as reconstructing the path it has travelled as the surgeon moves through the brain. It enables quick and easy differentiation between brain structures, helping to ensure the correct portion of the brain is being targeted. The visualization makes Neuro Access an ideal tool for stereotactic and functional neurosurgical procedures, including brain tumor biopsy, placement of stimulating probes, recording of electrodes, and delivery of biologics or drugs

Revealing the neuroanatomy and location of blood vessels in the brain during surgery

Neuro Access distinguishes all neuroanatomy in real-time, intraoperatively. A feat not possible with any other existing imaging techniques. It is capable of differentiating between grey matter, white matter, boundaries between basal ganglia structures, tumors, perivascular spaces, lesions, ventricles, and vascularization.

For more information and to see images created by Neuro Access, contact us!

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MATTHEW LAPINSKI, MSE, MECHANICAL ENGINEER MANAGER

“Neuro Access and Clee represent cutting-edge technologies that enhance the safety and effectiveness of brain procedures”

Confidence in intracranial drug delivery

Clee is a single use, disposable solution for accurate and precise delivery of biologics and drugs into the brain.

For a long time, delivering biologics and medications directly into the brain using Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) has held great potential. However, despite advances in therapeutic development, the devices used for this purpose have not been ideal. These devices have had limited performance in preventing fluid backflow, or needed to be used in environments with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging equipment.

Clee is a product that is designed to take drug from a vial and safely deliver it into the brain through CED. It is designed to be flexible and adaptable to suit the specific requirements of the treatment. Clee effectively resolves the problem of fluid backflow thanks to its unique design at the distal end. Importantly, it can be used in settings without the need for magnetic resonance (MR) equipment and can work either with or without the assistance of Neuro Access, which helps pinpoint the precise location for delivery.