RWJBarnabas Health recently deployed two new, minimally invasive technologies that will enhance the precision and efficacy of neurosurgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
RWJBH officials say the ClearPoint Navigation System and ROSA ONE Brain system will aid neurosurgeons treating patients with epilepsy, movement disorders and other neurological conditions.
Dr. Robert Gross, a SVP of neurosurgical services at RWJBarnabas Health, said the impact will be great.
“As neurosurgeons, we are always seeking new ways to achieve the pinpoint accuracy needed to deliver the best outcomes for patients with complex diseases that have devastating impact on their quality of life,” he said.
“New technologies are advancing rapidly right now thanks to AI and machine learning. It’s an exciting time to bring new robots into the OR that promise to help us better treat our patients.”
The ClearPoint Navigation System provides highly accurate guidance for the placement and operation of instruments or devices during neurosurgery and procedures using 3D magnetic resonance imaging.
At RWJUH, ClearPoint is used in conjunction with New Jersey’s only intraoperative MRI – an MRI that is located inside of the operating suite. It is used to add robotic precision guidance to procedures that have traditionally used manual stereotactic methodology for procedures such as biopsies and catheter and electrode insertion. This includes deep brain stimulation lead placement and for treating epilepsy and seizures.
The combination of intraoperative MRI and ClearPoint allows neurosurgeons to perform “asleep” DBS implantation. This type of procedure is sometimes preferred by patients for their own comfort.
ROSA ONE Brain is a robotic platform that assists surgeons in planning and performing complex yet minimally invasive neurosurgery via a robotic arm to place instruments in the brain through tiny holes in the skull. The ROSA robot can help neurosurgeons perform procedures for epilepsy and seizures, and brain tumors that once required a craniotomy, or removal of part of the bone from the skull.
Patients undergoing a procedure with the ROSA robot often do not even need to have their hair shaved, in addition to achieving shorter operations and faster recovery times.
A neurosurgeon uses ROSA and its planning software to create a 3D map of the patient’s brain and plan out exact pathways needed to carry out the procedure. ROSA ONE Brain follows the paths outlined by the surgical plan, and the surgeon carries out the surgery using the robot as a guide to reach a deep brain target for the placement of surgical instruments.
