Navigation-guided Sheath

Registration links the patient's physical position to preoperative or intraoperative imaging, allowing the planned trajectory to be interpreted in the same coordinate system as the patient. The surgeon can then align the navigation-guided sheath with the intended path. This alignment provides a navigational basis for controlled access to an intracranial target during minimally invasive neurosurgery.

Three-dimensional position monitoring helps the surgeon assess whether the sheath remains aligned with the predefined trajectory as it advances. That matters because intracranial targets may be deep or difficult to reach, where repeated redirection could make access less consistent. Maintaining positional awareness can improve control of the corridor and support predictable placement of instruments or catheters at the intended site.

The sheath serves as a stabilizing access corridor after it reaches the target. By maintaining that corridor, it can support passage or positioning of instruments without requiring repeated redirection of each device through brain tissue. This mechanical role complements neuronavigation: imaging guides the path, while the sheath helps preserve access for sampling, aspiration, catheter placement, or endoscopic treatment.

A typical workflow begins with patient-to-image registration, followed by selection of a predefined intracranial trajectory. The surgeon uses neuronavigation to align the sheath, advances it toward the target, and monitors its three-dimensional position during placement. Once positioned, the sheath remains available as an access corridor for the selected intervention rather than serving only as a guide during initial advancement.

Supported uses include tissue sampling, lesion aspiration, catheter placement, and endoscopic treatment. The common feature is that each intervention can take advantage of an established path to an intracranial target. This makes the device relevant when clinicians need controlled access for different procedural tasks within a minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure.

In image-guided neuroscience, the approach connects anatomical information from preoperative or intraoperative imaging with physical instrument access. Its value is greatest when targets lie deep or are difficult to reach, because planned trajectories and maintained corridors can support consistent intervention. The resulting access may be used to obtain tissue, remove lesion contents, place a catheter, or deliver endoscopic treatment.