Flexible Needle Steering System for Percutaneous Access to Deep Zones of the Brain

The authors describe a minimally invasive flexible needle-steering system to access deep areas of the brain. The design exploits the inherent bending of a beveled-tip needle when passing through tissue. Precise control of the rotation of the needle allows for an unlimited variety of trajectories. Potential advantages to this system include the possibility of catheter-based therapy delivery within the brain with minimal trauma to surrounding structures, and the ability to navigate around critical cerebral structures to reach deep zones within the brainstem, thalamus or other subcortical regions.