# AccuGyd: Accurate Guidance for MRI-Guided Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery

> **NIH NIH R43** · IMGGYD LLC · 2021 · $352,944

## Abstract

Abstract: The benefits of Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) extend to more applications and procedures every
year, as surgeons see the benefits of smaller openings, faster procedure times, less infection, fewer
complications, and faster recovery times. MIS procedures in the brain have been slow to gain acceptance, due
to the need to verify accurate device placement prior to making irreversible changes to the brain. Current
devices for guiding catheter procedures require complicated iterative manipulation, large holes in the skull for
brain access, and long procedure times. These factors make intraoperative MRI less attractive.
However, numerous therapies are ripe for improvement, such as administration of drugs and biologics,
placement of electrodes for therapy (deep brain stimulation and epilepsy) or monitoring (epilepsy), ablation of
epileptic foci, and evacuation of intracerebral hemorrhages. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
can assist neurosurgeons in placing devices accurately and with increased confidence, using less invasive
methods than possible in the traditional operating room. Considering Parkinson’s Disease (PD) alone, new
therapies are under development which could benefit all of the 60,000 new PD patients each year, opening up
a new market for MRI-guided MIS.
We propose a novel device, “AccuGyd”, a highly accurate and precise drill and catheter guide, that is rapid and
easy to install and utilize. It may be affixed either to the skull or a stereotaxic frame. A single MRI scan will
yield information to calculate the trajectory between AccuGyd and the tissue target. Major advantages of the
AccuGyd technology for MIS include: 1) it utilizes much smaller holes in the skull for brain access and device
placement; 2) it is extremely reproducible and mechanically stable; and 3) it substantially reduces the time for
an MRI guided procedure. This Phase I project will focus on tasks needed to incorporate AccuGyd into a
comprehensive MRI Guidance platform that can be be used in a larger Phase II study. The Phase I tasks
include further development of the device itself, prototype fabrication, development and implementation of an
algorithm to define the optimal trajectory of the AccuGyd based on MRI image features, and validation of
accuracy and precision using a realistic head-shaped phantom and human head cadavers. The result will be a
validated AccuGyd prototype that is ready to enter the FDA 510(k) clearance process.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10258259
- **Project number:** 1R43NS122713-01
- **Recipient organization:** IMGGYD LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** TERRENCE R OAKES
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $352,944
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10258259

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10258259, AccuGyd: Accurate Guidance for MRI-Guided Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery (1R43NS122713-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10258259. Licensed CC0.

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