In a bid to empower surgeons and enhance the safety of spinal surgeries, 7D Surgical, a Canadian-based company, has developed the first Machine vision Image Guided Surgery (MvIGS) system. This advanced medical device provides surgeons with a radiation-free, fast, and low-priced spinal navigation capability.

The machine features a proprietary FlashTM Registration which reduces patient registration from 30 minutes to less than 20 seconds. 7D Surgical has been in operation since 2009 and is a supplier of advanced optical technologies and an array of machine vision-based algorithms for registration during surgical operations.

The new 7D Surgical invention is poised to impact the world healthcare system by offering the following benefits:

♦ Reduced exposure to radiation

♦ Instant FlashTM registration allows for fast patient registration (less than 20 seconds)

♦ Quick patient re-registration ensures accuracy

♦ The system has been designed to cater to both single and multiple surgical specialties

♦ Creates a real-time correspondence between CT images and surgical tool interaction

♦ Brings down heavy reliance on both equipment and technical staff

♦ Better decision-making, thanks to a thorough image guidance

♦ The platform is mobile and has a small footprint

♦ Gets rid of fluoroscopy and intra-operative CT during registration

Machine vision utilizes a number of technologies including computation hardware, camera technology, a light source, and software algorithms to construct images that can be easily analyzed and processed. By adding IGS to machine vision, 7D Surgical has opened a new world of opportunities for surgical navigations through its first-ever MvIGS system.

To make use of the medical device a surgeon attaches a bone clamp reference frame. This step is fast, easy, and requires just one hand. The next step involves identification of level definition points on a pre-operative scan and a 3D surface. Once this is done the instantaneous Proprietary FlashTM Registration (which uses structured, visible light, not radiation) makes an automated registration process possible.

This light is what allows for a projection of a 2D light pattern onto the framework. The reflected light pattern undergoes digitization using a point cloud (consisting of over 300,000 points). Optimal points are then automatically selected and harmonized with a preoperative CT with the result being 3D images for use in spinal navigation.

The verification process where the surgeon touches anatomical landmarks follows before the last step which is the actual navigation using the 7D Surgical System. The entire process takes less than 20 minutes and provides real-time precise and accurate data.

7D Surgical is a private company which deals with the development of surgical devices to improve patient care and surgical workflow. They mainly deal with machine vision-based registration algorithms as well as other advanced optical technologies for surgeons.

The 7D Surgical’s MvIGS flagship is not only Health Canada-approved but is also FDA 510(K)-cleared. The company has promised to deliver more surgical innovations in the future to enhance the quality of spinal surgeries to a larger extent.

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