Renishaw (www.renishaw.com) has announced that the first Neuromate stereotactic robot in Canada has been installed in the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in London, Ontario.

The first Neuromate-assisted neurosurgical procedure performed in Canada was a stereo-electro-encephalo-graphy (SEEG) case — a procedure that uses intracerebral electrodes to measure electrical signals in the brain.

The aim of this type of surgery is to identify which area of the brain is generating the sudden bursts of electrical signals that cause epileptic seizures.

Dr David Steven, who leads the epilepsy team at LHSC, said: “The robot totally changes how we approach the insertion of SEEG electrodes.

It is already noticeably faster and more accurate than the previous system. In addition, use of the robot allows us to plan trajectories that were previously impossible with a standard frame, making surgery safer and more accurate.”

While the neurosurgeon is still responsible for all direct contact with the patient, the Neuromate robot enhances the safety and cost-effectiveness of procedures by supporting and guiding the surgical tools into position, according to the neurosurgeon’s pre-planned trajectory.

Neuromates have already been installed in several health-care centres of excellence around the world, and they have been used in over 10,000 procedures.