PORTFOLIO

About 2% of the global population is prevalent to intracranial aneurysms, leading to stroke and hemorrhage, especially in the active young population. Only highly skilled neurosurgeons are trained to treat an aneurysm and perform a delicate surgical procedure. As a result, the average wait time for patients is 2-3 months globally. Microsurgical skills are generally acquired self-directedly through many live surgical experiences a trainee wishes to participate in. And because brain surgeries are heterogeneous, patient-specific, and difficult to plan, board-certified surgeons find most surgery challenging. Limited methods and lack of suitable training tools outside the OR mean that surgeons struggle to practice microsurgical steps and predict before the surgery. SurgeonsLab’s SurgTrainTM simulator can train a neurosurgeon pre-operatively on a single patient-specific basis in a real physical environment. This method allows the surgeon to predict and prepare for the surgery in advance. In addition, the simulator training will reduce postoperative complications, repeated surgeries, and interventions.
Project Goal: Development of a Patient-Specific Neurosurgical Simulator toward bringing single-patient outcome
Intended Impact: Treating a small pilot group of a patient population with the simulator

During this project stage, we optimized the simulator suitable for patient-specific training, standardized our head model production protocols, converted DICOM to a 3D model through an autonomous AI-based algorithm, and conducted a feasibility study. The patient-specific research was carried out for two patients by two neurosurgeons and reviewed by blinded neurosurgeons. The Innobooster project supported completing the process workflow in preparing patient-specific replicas for personalized case training and validating the concept for commercialization. In the following months, the startup SurgeonsLab AG will collaborate with top medical centers globally in recruiting patients for clinical studies. The observation studies will allow the company to prepare for the regulations and certifications and roll the technology into the market.