Israeli Spinal Surgery Imaging Gets Procedure Debut

Israeli tech that assists physicians during spinal surgery by tracking their progress and creating real-time 3D images of each individual vertebrae has been used in a procedure for the first time. 

The PathKeeper system developed by PathKeeper Surgical assists the surgeon by continuously providing real-time feedback on the precise location and trajectory of the surgical instruments used during the procedure. 

It was used for the first time to help surgeons accurately navigate a spinal fusion procedure that was conducted at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The hospital is part of Southcoast Health, a not-for-profit, community-based health system. 

The patient’s CT scan data is first uploaded into the PathKeeper system, which creates a surgical plan that the physician can follow as they operate. During the surgery, the system guides the surgeon to align their instruments to the pre-planned insertion path. 

The PathKeeper system can track any surgical instrument used during a procedure as long as they are equipped with special markers that allow its 3D camera to scan them in real-time.

PathKeeper, which is based in Kfar Saba in central Israel, received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration approval for the use of its system earlier this year. 

“We are thrilled at the adoption of the PathKeeper system at Southcoast Health, which continues our expansion of the PathKeeper system to hospitals and surgery centers across the United States,” said Ryan LeBlanc, chief commercial officer at PathKeeper Surgical.

“The PathKeeper system is a game changer in driving improved clinical outcomes and economic value to patients and healthcare providers.”