Beijing Children's Hospital Seeks $14,000 Technology Transfer for Non-Invasive Cranial Image Navigation Patent

Recently, Beijing Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University released a public notice on the transformation of patent achievements, proposing to“Non-invasive Cranial Imaging Navigation Method and System Based on Three-dimensional Models of Anatomical Adjacency Relationships”assignment of the patent, with a transaction amount of¥100,000。

This technology enables precise navigation for cranial surgery without the need for head frame fixation, thereby reducing the risk of injury. Its navigation accuracy remains unaffected by intraoperative tissue changes, and it can be operated using only standard computers and mobile devices, effectively lowering medical costs. It is suitable for patients of all age groups. The inventors of this technology are Liang Shuli and his team.

The cranial structure of children is fundamentally different from that of adults; it is not merely a scaled-down version of the adult brain. This distinction is particularly evident in the field of epilepsy surgery, which demands exceptionally high levels of surgical expertise and equipment precision. In some patients with MRI-negative epilepsy, the epileptogenic zone exhibits characteristics highly similar to those of normal brain tissue, making it nearly indistinguishable to the naked eye. Consequently, accurately localizing the spatial position of the epileptogenic zone and its anatomical relationship with surrounding tissues has become a critical challenge that urgently needs to be addressed in the formulation and clinical implementation of surgical plans.

In clinical practice, the limitations of traditional cranial neurosurgery are particularly prominent. Surgeons must rely on limited patient imaging data and their own clinical experience to formulate surgical plans, a model that results in relatively low surgical precision. The direct consequences include larger incisions, greater intraoperative trauma, and a prolonged postoperative recovery period. The emergence of cranial navigation technology offers a new approach to addressing these issues. It assists surgeons in clearly planning surgical trajectories, enabling precise preoperative incision localization and accurate intraoperative identification of anatomical structures, thereby preventing disorientation during procedures and minimizing iatrogenic trauma to the greatest extent possible.

Currently, there are two mainstream navigation solutions in clinical practice: one isElectromagnetic Navigation, with the advantage of not requiring head frame fixation, causing less trauma to patients, and being suitable for young children. However, its shortcomings are equally prominent: lower navigation accuracy and susceptibility to external interference, which can adversely affect surgical outcomes. Second,Laser Navigation, although navigation accuracy is relatively high, it requires the use of a head frame for auxiliary fixation on the patient's head. In young children, the skull is not fully developed and the bone is thin; the pins used to secure the head frame may penetrate the skull and injure brain tissue, significantly increasing surgical risk.

This technology achieves precise breakthroughs in addressing the critical challenges of cranial neurosurgery, particularly offering a novel, safe, and accurate solution for pediatric cranial surgery in young children, with its innovations and advantages being highly prominent.

At the core level of innovation, this technology first achieves a fundamental breakthrough in principle. It breaks free from the limitations of traditional electromagnetic and laser navigation systems that rely on external devices for positioning, and instead adoptsAnatomical Structures of the Brain and the Spatial Relationship Between Lesional and Normal Tissuesas the core anchor. ThroughConstruct personalized 3D models to precisely localize the spatial position of lesions and map the distribution of surrounding blood vessels and nerves., achieving a transition from "external localization" to "internal structural correlation-based localization," thereby fundamentally enhancing the stability of navigational positioning.

Next isIntegrated Closed-Loop Innovation in Processes, created“A Non-Invasive System for the Entire Workflow: Image Acquisition—Model Reconstruction—Lesion Delineation—Projection Localization—Path Planning”, first, the scalp and cortex are stripped from the patient's head imaging data to establish a basic 3D brain model. Subsequently, lesion delineation and vascular reconstruction are performed synchronously to generate a complete 3D brain model. Finally, projection technology is used to map the lesion location onto the scalp, and the navigation path is planned in conjunction with the physician's surgical scheme. The entire process is non-invasive, overcoming the fragmentation inherent in traditional navigation workflows.

Furthermore, this technology has also achievedLightweight Innovation in Application Scenarios, breaking away from the reliance of traditional navigation on specialized large-scale equipment and requiring only data acquisition through conventional imaging devices, relying on“PC + Mobile”It enables rapid modeling and navigation planning, significantly lowering the technical barrier to adoption and making it more suitable for widespread implementation in primary healthcare institutions.

In terms of technical advantages, it adoptsFrameless Design, eliminating the need for head frame fixation and skull pin penetration, thereby avoiding risks such as scalp injury, cranial perforation, and even accidental brain injury, while also reducing the incidence of complications like bleeding at the puncture site and postoperative infection. This feature is perfectly suited to the physiological characteristics of incomplete cranial development in young children, effectively addressing the safety concerns associated with traditional laser navigation.

Furthermore, the navigation accuracy of this technology is entirely unaffected by factors such as intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid loss, brain shift, and local resection of brain tissue, thereby eliminating the intraoperative shift errors prevalent in traditional navigation systems. While conventional electromagnetic and laser navigation systems exhibit errors ranging from 1 mm to 3 mm and demonstrate a 100% incidence of brain shift following craniotomy, this technology maintains precise localization throughout the entire surgical procedure, providing a reliable guarantee for the accurate execution of surgical plans.

Meanwhile, the entire navigation process requires only7 minutescan be completed. Compared with the 20–40 minutes required for traditional electromagnetic navigation and laser navigation, efficiency is improved by more than threefold. Rapid navigation planning can effectively shorten the overall surgical duration, reduce the time pediatric patients are exposed to anesthesia, and further lower surgical risks.

Finally, this technology eliminates the need to procure large, specialized navigation equipment.All operations can be completed using only conventional imaging acquisition equipment and general-purpose computers or mobile devices., significantly reducing hospitals' equipment investment costs, while the simplified operational procedures decrease reliance on specialized technical personnel, further lowering labor costs, and ultimately alleviating the medical expense burden on patients' families.

Neurosurgical navigation technology is ushering in a wave of innovation characterized by precision and minimal invasiveness. Current research is achieving breakthroughs in non-invasive adaptation, real-time calibration, risk prediction, and visual interaction, specifically addressing clinical pain points. This progress has become a key force driving technological upgrades, providing safer and more efficient solutions for complex cranial surgeries.

Medtronic Navigation, Inc.:Developed the “REGISTRATION AND NAVIGATION IN CRANIAL PROCEDURES” technology, which centers on a robotic arm equipped with a movable elliptical face mask and a machine vision system. Preoperatively, cranial imaging data is acquired to construct 3D source images; intraoperatively, real-time surface data of the patient’s face or skull is captured to generate 3D target images. Following registration and calibration, the system assists in surgical procedures. This patent is specifically tailored for supine surgical scenarios, addressing navigation deviations caused by positional changes through non-contact imaging, thereby significantly enhancing the precision of routine cranial surgeries. It was published by the European Patent Office in September 2025 and is currently under patent examination.

U.S. ClearPoint Neuro:A patent for a “bone collision detection method based on stereotactic image navigation systems” has been launched. Based on a 3D mesh model of the cranium and incorporating individual variations in patient skull thickness, the method calculates the “maximum safe angle” for surgical trajectories using a formula to accurately predict the risk of collision between surgical instruments and the skull. It enables pre- and post-operative trajectory adjustments and proactively recommends optimization plans. The patent is currently at the U.S. patent application publication stage and has not yet been formally granted.

Samara State Medical University, Russia:The company has developed the technology titled “Method for Preparing and Performing Surgical Operations Using Augmented Reality and a Comprehensive Equipment System for Its Implementation,” which integrates AR glasses, navigation pointers, and multi-camera systems (stereo cameras and ToF cameras). By employing three-point registration, this technology overlays 3D anatomical models onto the surgical field of view, real-time displays the distance and orientation of target structures, and supports rapid calibration during intraoperative position changes. This patent reduces the need for surgeons to shift their gaze through intuitive visual interaction, thereby helping to minimize the scope of surgical trauma. It is applicable to neurosurgical procedures and has currently entered the stage of practical application validation.

These technologies each focus on different core clinical needs, driving the development of cranial navigation toward greater safety, efficiency, and personalization through differentiated technical approaches.

In the future, with the integration of multiple technologies and the advancement of intelligent algorithms, cranial navigation is expected to achieve more precise real-time feedback and a simplified operational workflow, further reducing surgical trauma and medical costs, thereby making precision surgical techniques accessible to more patients.

* Patent transaction information is provided by CSTT