Düsseldorf / November 11, 2024 - November 14, 2024
MEDICA 2024
MEDICA is the world's largest event for the medical industry. For over 40 years, it has been a permanent fixture in the calendars of all professionals. MEDICA's unique position can be measured in many ways: On the one hand, the event is the largest medical trade fair in the world - with several thousand exhibitors from almost 70 nations in the exhibition halls! On the other hand, in addition to a comprehensive exhibition, a sophisticated program awaits you in Düsseldorf that covers the entire spectrum of innovations for outpatient and clinical care.
We are looking forward to presenting an innovation from our “Medical Technology” technology field at MEDICA in Düsseldorf at the Fraunhofer joint booth 3E74.
Neurosurgical procedures on motor, cognitive or sensory regions of the brain are sometimes performed while the patient is fully conscious. One hurdle in such operations on awake patients is the mechanical opening of the skull by sawing or milling. This is perceived as highly traumatizing by those undergoing surgery. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen is developing a new procedure that opens the skull almost silently and gently using laser pulses. In a digitally controlled and sensor-monitored process, the pulses, which are about 100 nanoseconds short, remove the bone tissue in tiny portions without heating it. The procedure leaves clean, colorless cut edges where the bone quickly grows back together after the operation. To ensure that the laser opens the skull without hitting the underlying tissue, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurement beam is superimposed on it. Thanks to this inline sensor technology, the surgeons can see exactly how the removal of the bone tissue is progressing - until they can remove the quietly loosened, circular bone flap and begin the actual brain surgery.