Image-guided robot used in brain surgery

An image-guided robot is being used successfully during open-skull neurosurgeries, according to the robot's manufacturer, Integrated Surgical Systems of Davis, CA. The robot, called NeuroMate, consists of a robotic arm that maps anatomical structures in the brain and positions surgical instruments during operations, according to the company. NeuroMate interfaces with existing presurgical planning stations and is guided by a proprietary patient-to-image registration technology developed by ISS. The system enables image registration to be conducted without a stereotactic head frame. The neurosurgeries were part of clinical trials under way at the Rothschild Foundation Hospital in Paris.