Precision surgery for cancer treatment
Created to guide surgeons, deployed to benefit patients
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CARE THROUGH PRECISION

Surgeons have to balance between radical tumor resection and sparing healthy tissue. The surgeon relies on visual and tactile feedback, which is not always optimal. As a result, tumor tissue is often difficult to identify during surgery.

Bcon Medical is developing state-of-the-art navigation solutions to visualize the 3D anatomy of the target area and aid the localization of lesions and critical anatomical structures during oncologic surgery.

LIVE ANATOMICAL OVERVIEW

We utilize pre-operative diagnostic imaging data to visualize the 3D anatomy of the tumor and its surrounding vital structures during surgery.

INSTRUMENT TRACKING

We track the position of the patient and surgical instruments in real-time using state-of-the-art sensor technology.

ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO GO

Our system visualizes the position of the surgical instruments relative to the tumor and surrounding vital structures, all in one real-time view. This allows a higher percentage of radical tumor resections and spares healthy tissue.

IMPROVING SURGICAL ONCOLOGY

A better understanding of the anatomy and tumor position during complex surgical procedures decreases procedure time, reduces cost and improves patient outcome.

TECHNOLOGY

The Bcon navigation system combines electromagnetic tracking of surgical instruments with state-of-the art real time visualization of 3D anatomy and live ultrasound.

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The Navigation Console is used to import the clinical data, and it contains the main display used during navigation.
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The Field Generator generates a 50x50x50 cm³ electromagnetic field in which the surgical instruments are tracked.
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A third party Ultrasound system can be used to perform patient registration at any time during the procedure.
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Alternatively, a third party 3D Mobile CT scan can be used for patient registration as well.

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The Control Tablet is used by the surgeon to remotely control the navigation system from the tableside.
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The Pointer is used during surgery to localize the tumors.
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The Patient Trackers automatically track and compensate movements of the patient.
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A Tracked Ultrasound Probe can be used to perform automatic patient registration.
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The Bedside Hub connects all tracked instruments to the navigation console.

ABOUT US

At the Netherlands Cancer Institute, researchers recognized the need to improve cancer surgery. In more than 20% of the operated cancer patients, surgery is inadequate. In these cases, either surgical resection margins still show tumor cells or too much healthy tissue is removed or damaged.
Tumor positive resection margins are a strong predictor for tumor recurrence, while damage to healthy tissue can result in long lasting complications such as urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction. A surgeon has to balance between radical tumor resection and sparing healthy tissue.

Bcon Medical develops state-of-the-art navigation solutions to guide surgeons during complex surgical procedures. The first applications are advanced rectal and lymph node cancer surgery.
The company is a spin-out from the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI-AVL) in Amsterdam and is funded by private investors and two Venture Capital funds. It was founded in March 2021 by the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Theo Ruers, Nijs van der Vaart and Robin de Paus. We aim to make navigation solutions available and affordable for all surgical oncology hospitals.

THE TEAM

Nijs van der Vaart

Managing Director

Theo Ruers

Chief Medical Officer

Robin de Paus

System Architect

Jasper Smit

Clinical Scientist

Willie Middendorp

Test Architect

Ludo Poot

User Interface

Henk-Willem Mutsaers

Quality System (Q-Serve)

Vacancy

Q & R

CLINICAL EVIDENCE

Use of Image-Guided Surgical Navigation during Resection of Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer

Groen, H.C.; den Hartog, A.G.; Heerink, W.J.; Kuhlmann, K.F.D.; Kok, N.F.M.; van Veen, R.; Hiep, M.A.J.; Snaebjornsson, P.; Grotenhuis, B.A.; Beets, G.L.; et al. Life, 2022

Surgical navigation for challenging recurrent or pretreated intra-abdominal and pelvic soft tissue sarcomas

Reijers, S.J.M.; Heerink, W.J.; Van Veen, R.; et al. Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2021

Accurate surgical navigation with real-time tumor tracking in cancer surgery

Kok, E.N.D.; Eppenga, R.; Kuhlmann, K.F.D.; et al. NPJ Precision Oncology 2020

Association of Image-Guided Navigation With Complete Resection Rate in Patients With Locally Advanced Primary and Recurrent Rectal Cancer

Kok, E.N.D.; van Veen, R.; Groen, H.C.; et al. JAMA Network Open, 2020

Prospective study on image‐guided navigation surgery for pelvic malignancies

Nijkamp, J.; Kuhlmann, K.F.D; Ivashchenko, O.; et al. Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2018

Image-guided navigation surgery for pelvic malignancies using electromagnetic tracking

Nijkamp, J.; Kuhlmann, K.F.D.; Sonke, J.J.; Ruers, T.J.M.; SPIE Medical Imaging 2016

CLINICAL COLLABORATIONS

Koen Verhoef

Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam

Jip Tolenaar

Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven

MEDIA

Patient Testimonial I am glad I got away with it like this (Dutch)

Antoni Magazine, 2021

Rijnstate deploys 3D navigation system to increase surgical accuracy (Dutch)

Rijnstate, 2021

No instrument? Then the physician creates it himself (Dutch)

Het Financiële Dagblad, 2020

The operation room of the future (Dutch)

De Wereld Draait Door, BNNVARA, 2015

OR of the future (Dutch)

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, YouTube, 2015

Medical SatNav tracks hidden tumors (Dutch)

EenVandaag, AVROTROS, 2014

INVESTORS

Bcon Medical is funded by a group of private investors and two venture capital investors.