Tulane neurosurgeon among first to use expandable port for deep brain access

A Tulane University neurosurgeon is among the first to perform a procedure with Minnetronix Medical’s MindsEye expandable port, a minimally invasive device for surgical treatment of stroke, cancer and other neurological conditions.

According to a Minnetronix press release, the expandable brain access port, which received FDA clearance in September 2020, is now fully commercialized and available for use. The device uses dynamic retraction to create a custom-sized channel that allows surgeons to accurately reach target areas deep in the brain.

Johnny Delashaw, MD, director of skull base surgery and professor of neurological surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine, has successfully used the novel access port to remove a deep-seeded brain tumor. “Its benefits to neurosurgeons, such as expandability, easier insertion and removal, and transparency that minimizes glare and allows surgeons to see surrounding tissue, are truly unique,” Delashaw said in the release.

The impetus behind MindsEye arose from elements of abdominal surgery, in which tubes are inserted into the abdominal wall and fill the cavity with carbon dioxide, a process that separates abdominal contents from the muscle wall, Delashaw explained in an interview with Healio.

“Scopes are then used for small incisions,” he said. “Spinal surgeons also used these tubes as a retractor to facilitate small incisions when performing surgery.”

According to Delashaw, MindsEye technology allows for expansion of the tubes and can facilitate the creation of larger channels to perform surgery.

“It also has a clear wall, so when it expands, surgeons can see around the hole to look at surrounding blood and tissue,” he said. “By using suction around the device, and with 360-degree vision, we can get to the clot or whatever we’re looking for easier.”

Delashaw said MindsEye has two advantages over existing technology: transparency and flexibility.

“The device allows more flexibility in how big a hole is required with the retractor,” he continued. “There’s minimal brain movement with retraction, and the device allows the tubes to be locked in within millimeters.”

While the MindsEye port itself is available in only one size, it is constructed in various lengths for accessibility to superficial or deep areas of the brain, Delashaw said.

Because MindsEye offers more precise bleeding management and minimal disruption to surrounding tissues, he added, the reduction in trauma promotes quicker recovery time and return to functionality, which will benefit patients in both the short and long term.

Reference:

• Minnetronix Medical gets FDA clearance on innovative neurosurgical access platform. https://minnetronixmedical.com/minnetronix-medical-gets-fda-clearance-on-innovative-neurosurgical-access-platform/. Published Sept. 9, 2020. Accessed Oct. 5, 2022.
• Minnetronix Medical launches world’s first expandable brain port, now available to neurosurgical market. https://minnetronixmedical.com/minnetronix-medical-launches-worlds-first-expandable-brain-port-now-available-to-neurosurgical-market/. Published Aug. 11, 2022. Accessed Oct. 11, 2022.