From 2013
"Dr. Hooman Azmi at Hackensack University Medical Center was the first surgeon to couple the ClearPoint system with laser ablation technology in connection with the treatment of malignant brain tumors called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Dr. Robert Gross at Emory University Hospital was the first to use the ClearPoint system and laser ablation technology to treat patients with epilepsy. Both Drs. Azmi and Gross originally had brought the ClearPoint system into their hospitals to assist with the placement of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes.
"The combination of these two technologies – the ClearPoint MRI-guided system and laser ablation – has the potential to provide minimally-invasive treatment options for patients whose epileptic seizures cannot be controlled with medications," said Dr. Gross.
Though the diseases are different, for many patients with GBM and certain forms of epilepsy the main treatment option is surgical resection, or removal, of the affected area in the brain. This is usually a highly invasive procedure that requires surgeons to detach a large portion of the patient's skull in order to access the target location. For most people with GBM, surgical resection is the best option for increasing chances of survival, but not infrequently, the tumor is located in an area which makes open surgery with limited visualization risky. Some patients with epilepsy or brain tumor also do not make good candidates for conventional surgical resection due to the highly invasive nature of the traditional procedure.
"ClearPoint allows me to surgically treat patients I would not be able to treat using other platform systems," stated Dr. Azmi. "It allows me to visualize the tumor and healthy brain tissue while I am working without putting my patient through a highly invasive procedure. Using ClearPoint, I can ensure clean margins while avoiding damage to the rest of the brain. I imagine this platform will be helpful in delivering a wide range of therapies to brain disorders, above and beyond what we have seen so far."
"We are excited about both current and future applications for our ClearPoint platform," said Kimble Jenkins, CEO of MRI Interventions. "Our vision is that the ClearPoint system will remain at the forefront of minimally invasive neurosurgery enabling more options for more patients suffering from neurological disorders."
