Students at the Jacobs Institute Try Their Hand at Synaptive Medical’s Robotic Surgery System

Buffalo, NY, October 30, 2017 — The Jacobs Institute (JI) today hosted 25 middle and high school students from The Park School of Buffalo to get hands-on experience with Synaptive Medical’s BrightMatter™ technology. This technology uses surgical planning and navigation, along with advanced visualization of critical structures in the brain, to support clinical decisions.

The 25 students had a chance to use the automatic robotic arm of the BrightMatter™ system to play the classic board game Operation and used the technology to help retrieve game pieces from the pretend patient. They also tried to beat the clock, performing sample tasks with the robotic arm. The students enjoyed the unique educational experience, which was part of a larger, two-hour program that the JI hosts on a regular basis for more than 600 students across Western New York, known as Brain Boot Camp.

The boot camp provided plenty of hands-on interaction with this cutting-edge technology that is used by physicians in the Gates Vascular Institute, which is located right below the JI.

Jason Davies, MD, PhD, assistant professor of cerebrovascular and skullbase neurosurgery at SUNY at Buffalo (UB); director of cerebrovascular microsurgery and director of endoscopy at Kaleida Health, and research director at the Jacobs Institute, was on-hand to help with the demonstration. He has used the BrightMatter™ technology in successful cases and is pleased with the experience and results, “This system allows for safer, deeper surgeries. We can explore the depths of the brain more clearly—the anatomy and structures—in a way not experienced before. I am excited to share this technology with the students and apply it in an educational setting. The students will have a greater appreciation for how technology is evolving and impacting medicine.”

“Synaptive Medical is proud to co-host this educational event at the Jacobs Institute, which showcases the rich intersection between technology and neuroscience,” says Cameron Piron, co-founder, president and chief strategy officer. “Educational events may also help to open young minds to career possibilities in our field they might not otherwise experience. Beyond opportunities to contribute to positive patient outcomes, it’s opportunities like this to support our hospital partners in their outreach programs that make working in medical technology rewarding for our team.”

There are two BrightMatter™ systems in the building—one is located in the JI for demonstration purposes, and the other is located in the GVI for surgeons to operate on patients. This is a collaborative effort by the GVI and surgeons affiliated with University at Buffalo Neurosurgery (UBNS) and the JI to provide patients with the latest imaging technology.

About the Jacobs Institute | The Jacobs Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies in vascular medicine through collisions of physicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, and industry. Their vision is to improve the treatment of vascular disease in Western New York and the world, while fostering local economic development. They foster medical collaboration and innovation through partnerships with the University at Buffalo (UB), Kaleida Health, and industry, to be a fitting tribute to the work and memory of Lawrence D. Jacobs, M.D.  Additionally, the JI’s i2R, or Idea to Reality Center, will help take ideas for vascular medical devices and move them through the proof-of-concept process. Finally, they also increases physician and industry knowledge of vascular surgery through clinical education programs.

They occupy more than 20,000 square feet of space on the fifth floor of the building that houses Kaleida Health’s Gates Vascular Institute (GVI) and University at Buffalo’s (UB’s) Clinical and Translational Research Center downtown. The Jacobs Institute moved into its space in September 2012 and has 12 employees.

To learn more about the Jacobs Institute, please visit our web site, or follow on Twitter or on Facebook.

About Synaptive Medical | Synaptive Medical Inc., a Toronto-based medical device and technology company, collaborates with leading clinicians and healthcare systems to revolutionize products and services that cross traditional barriers to enable continuous improvement in care delivery in and beyond the operating room. Synaptive’s integrated BrightMatter^TM solutions — including surgical planning, navigation and visualization, automation and robotics, and an informatics platform — are designed to give clinicians the right information they need to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.