Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said it has begun using Synaptive Medical's BrightMatter Guide system to visualize the inside of the brain during surgery.
BrightMatter provides real-time, brightly colored 3D images to guide surgeons through the brain's neural connections and avoid damaging healthy tissue, the hospital said. The current standard, MRI, is not as helpful because it only produces flat 2D renderings of brain tissue, Cedars-Sinai added.
The BrightMatter device includes a camera that tracks the physician's tools and shows a detailed image of the patient's brain on a screen in the operating room. It can be used to operate on tumors, aneurysms, vascular lesions, skull-based issues, and the spine, Cedars-Sinai said. Neurosurgeons at the hospital perform about 600 brain surgeries a year.
