Nexstim, a medical technology company focused on navigated brain stimulation (NBS), has launched a new NBS system, NBS 5, for noninvasive presurgical mapping in clinical neurosurgery. The new device will be showcased at two international neurosurgery congresses during the month of October 2014, one in Europe and the other in the USA.

The new NBS 5 system combines MRI-guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) with electromyography (EMG) measurement and incorporates DICOM export to surgical planning systems, surgical navigators and microscopes. Nexstim has developed and implemented several novel proprietary features in the new NBS 5 to enable NBS to be easily adopted as the routine solution for presurgical mapping of the cortex in clinical neurosurgery. Computer-aided alignment of the stimulation coil, motor threshold determination and E-field-based stimulation enable mapping of motor areas around the point of interest.

The new system also includes an improved targeting tool for the stimulating E-field, optimising the stimulation dose and shortening the mapping time for both the patient and the user; a new consumable head tracker, engineered to ensure a more comfortable experience for the patient and to allow for more freedom when positioning the device; and a new camera aiming tool to ensure optimal camera positioning.

NexSpeech software has been upgraded to automatically import speech data to NBS MRI view for efficient analysis and seamless integration into the surgical workflow. Nexstim’s data sharing capabilities have also been upgraded with a new SFTP data transfer solution solution that improves the data workflow at the hospitals.

Nexstim will be showcasing the new NBS 5 system at two events this month. The first event is the 6th International Symposium on Navigated Brain Stimulation in Neurosurgery, 10 – 11 October 2014, Berlin, Germany.  The second event is the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) 64th Annual Meeting, 18 – 22 October 2014, Boston, Massachusetts.

Janne Huhtala, chief executive officer of Nexstim, commented:“We are delighted to launch the new NBS 5 system which addresses the unmet need for more precise and reliable noninvasive planning tools in clinical neurosurgery. This launch is another exciting milestone for Nexstim’s innovative product line and research into navigated TMS therapy for the treatment of brain diseases, and we are pleased to be making this progress whilst our phase III clinical trial in therapy continues according to plan. We look forward to showcasing the NBS 5 system at conferences in Berlin and Boston later this month and to educating wider audiences about the potential of this technology.”

Dr Thomas Picht, Department of Neurosurgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, added: “Nexstim’s technology for both diagnostics and therapy is pioneering and the navigation aspects of it make it unique in the market. This upgrade to the system further enhances Nexstim’s significant contribution to advancing neurosurgical practices.”