Andrew Abumoussa, MD, MSc, a PGY6 neurosurgery resident, was awarded the KLS Martin Innovations Challenge Award for his work on utilizing consumer grade iOS devices to provide stereotactic neuronavigation for flexible endoscopy.

For his research year, Dr. Abumoussa built an iOS app to track the tip of an external ventricular drain (EVD) catheter in real time using only a single 3D printed object. The app performs all the steps of surgical navigation on standard iPhone and iPad Pros. The placement of EVDs and VPS are some of the most common, critical, and life-saving procedures performed by neurosurgeons. Errors and misplacement of these catheters can cause serious and even life-threatening consequences for patients.

Dr. Abumoussa’s goal is to reduce the cost and risk associated with caring for patients with complex hydrocephalus by improving the safety, reliability, and availability of navigational adjuncts for flexible endoscopy. This grant allows Dr. Abumoussa and his team to extend the capabilities of this technology to assist with the placement of ventricular catheters for complex hydrocephalus. “We are so honored by this award and opportunity from the Peds Section and KLS Martin to extend our work,” said Dr. Abumoussa. “We believe this will address an important issue for our pediatric patients and their families.”

Dr. Abumoussa is the principal investigator of the study. His co-principial investigators include UNC Health’s pediatric neurosurgeons Dr. Carolyn Quinsey and Dr. Scott Elton, Dr. Yueh Lee from UNC Health’s Department of Radiology, and Dr. Sivakumar Jaikumar at UNC Health Rex.

KLS Martin Group develops and markets medical technology solutions with a passion for surgical innovation and advancing patient treatment worldwide. The KLS Martin Innovations Challenge Award provides funding to support early work toward developing innovations that could one day be adopted by industry partners or result in new companies.

Written by: Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, UNC Health Department of Neurosurgery