Unmet Need
The global market for image guided surgery (IGS) systems is projected to reach over $5.2 billion in 2024 at a CAGR of 6.6%, due to increase in new systems that are more portable, precise, safe, and less expensive. IGS systems are very beneficial in surgical procedures by allowing for greater control, real-time feedback upon an intervention or positioning of an instrument, which leads to reduced tissue trauma and decreased disruption in gaining access to the anatomical structure. However, they result in increased procedure time due to extra steps added to the workflow for setup calibration and use of the system with external trackers. Many IGS systems also utilize x-ray imaging, leading to higher doses of radiation exposure for the patient. Thus, there is a need for an IGS system that can allow for decreased exposure to radiation and faster, safer procedures.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins inventors have created a surgical guidance solution to assist in the placement of surgical instruments during procedures. This solution is comprised of a video camera or other tracking modalities that is attached to a surgical drill or instrument, an x-ray imaging system, and multimodal markers that are visible to both the camera and the x-ray system. This enables the overlay of instrument position upon the x-ray images or preoperative 3D images such as CT or MRI, overcoming conventional pitfalls of external tracking systems that require line-of-sight and limit surgical maneuverability. Additionally, as this invention does not require preoperative images and is robust to possible perturbations through real time capturing of images, it has the potential for adoption in fast-paced surgical environments, and improves the accuracy and safety of instrument placement while reducing x-ray radiation dose and surgical procedure times.
Stage of Development
The invention is well developed in the laboratory and is in pre-clinical stage of development. Clinical trials are upcoming.
