Optical Real-Time Anatomical Tracking- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

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The PathKeeper’s Spine Navigation System uses machine vision 3D cameras and AI-based algorithms to automatically match patients’ preoperative spine CT or MRI scans to images taken in the operating room, a process called registration. Once the patient is registered, the surgeon can see the exact location of their surgical tools relative to the anatomy. Using the computer, the surgeon can see exactly where the target anatomy is, like using GPS to navigate while driving. Image-guided surgery allows surgeons to avoid damaging critical anatomy like the spinal cord and major blood vessels. Image guidance from machine vision results in safer surgery for patients. Navigation accuracy is crucial in spine surgeries, where a few millimeters can be the difference between a good outcome and major surgical complications. Current Navigation systems in the market, create the anatomical map only once at the first stage of the operation and track the movement of only the surgery tool. PathKeeper solution is the first and only system that tracks the patient's anatomy in real-time throughout the surgery. Real-time tracking not only ensure higher precision and better safety, but it also enables new clinical application which requires higher accuracy (e.g. cervical spine procedures), real-time anatomical correction (e.g. tumor removal). Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a type of surgery that uses smaller incisions than standard surgery. This often causes less harm to nearby muscles and other tissues. For MIS procedures PathKeeper is developing a miniature 3D camera attached to the retractor tube, which uses the smaller opening to keep registration functioning. PathKeeper is a medical device company developing innovative surgical guidance systems and is dedicated to addressing the unmet needs of spine surgical navigation systems for surgeons and patients. PathKeeper has developed the first Machine-vision Image Guided Surgery system that allows improved spine surgery.