Leica Microsystems exhibited a new vascular fluorescence imaging modality for its GLOW augmented reality platform at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting this week.

GLOW800 AR fluorescence is the result of partnerships between the company and surgeons, that spanned a decade.

This imaging modality allows neurosurgeons to simultaneously view the naturally-colored cerebral anatomy and highlighted vascular blood flow with full depth perception. That provides the anatomical and physiological information they need to make decisions before and during vascular neurosurgery.

If a neurosurgeon wants to view blood flow with an Indocyanine Green fluorescent agent, they have to pause the surgery to watch a separate near-infrared black and white video. They then have to recall and reconcile that with the anatomical microscope view.

But now with GLOW800 AR, the blood flow information is combined with the natural image in a single augmented view. This is only the first of many imaging modalities that Leica Microsystems plans to introduce for the GLOW AR platform.

"I have excellent spatial orientation and I am impressed with the crisp delineation of vessels,” Dr. Cleopatra Charalampaki, professor of neurosurgery at Cologne Medical Center in Germany, said in a statement. “I believe GLOW800 AR fluorescence will have a significant impact on surgical outcomes in the future."

GLOW800 AR is not yet cleared for use in the U.S. or Europe.

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