BrainMapp Software Launches Digital Tool for Neurosurgery

BrainMapp Software Solutions, a new company spun out of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Center for Computer Vision (CVC), introduced a digital platform to assist neurosurgical teams. This tool helps identify critical brain areas during tumor removal, having already been utilized in 31 neurosurgical procedures. Nineteen of these operations occurred at Bellvitge University Hospital.

Digital Platform Enhances Brain Mapping Precision

The digital tool enhances intraoperative brain mapping, a procedure where specialists stimulate brain regions during surgery. This stimulation allows observation of patient responses, identifying areas crucial for functions like speech, movement, and cognition. Dr. Andreu Gabarrós, head of neurosurgery at Bellvitge University Hospital, states this process helps surgeons preserve essential brain structures while maximizing tumor resection.

BrainMapp’s platform provides a real-time environment to record, organize, and visualize data generated during these complex operations. It integrates stimulation capture, patient responses, and operating room test results with pre-existing neuroimaging, such as MRI scans. The system also archives audio, video, and medical images, creating comprehensive surgical records.

Collaborative Development Integrates AI

Researchers from UAB, the University of Barcelona, CVC, and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) developed this technology. Clinical teams at Bellvitge University Hospital and the Cognition and Brain Plasticity research group at IDIBELL collaborated, ensuring the tool met specific operating room demands. The platform incorporates computer vision and artificial intelligence to streamline data organization during brain mapping. Víctor Cepero, BrainMapp co-founder, stated the goal is to provide neurosurgery teams with an organized, accessible single environment. This supports informed decision-making during surgery.

Future Expansion Targets Deeper Brain Regions BrainMapp Software Solutions BrainMapp currently focuses on mapping superficial brain areas. Joaquim Cerdà, a UAB lecturer and co-founder, indicated plans to expand capabilities to deeper brain regions. The company also intends to integrate new data analysis and decision-support tools. The structured surgical data records offer potential for future research into brain functions.

The company formed as a spinoff after participating in entrepreneurship programs like AI4ALL and Polaris, and the RDI-IA Network's AI Accelerator. BrainMapp now focuses on further validating its technology and moving towards broader commercial adoption in clinical settings. It has also collaborated with hospitals including Hospital del Mar and Josep Trueta University Hospital in Girona.