Brainlab

Brainlab is a privately held German medical technology company headquartered in Munich, Bavaria that develops hardware and software for radiosurgery, image guided surgery technologies for neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, ENT, CMF, spine and trauma, as well as digital operating room integration and cloud-based data sharing.

Brainlab
AG
Traded asBrainLAB AG
IndustryMedical technology
Founded1989 (1989) in Munich, Germany
FounderStefan Vilsmeier
Headquarters
Munich
,
Germany
Number of locations
19 (2016)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
General Management: Stefan Vilsmeier, Rainer Birkenbach, Jan Merker
ProductsMedical technology for image-guided surgery, radiation oncology and medical image exchange
BrandsNovalis® Radiosurgery, ExacTrac® Patient Positioning, Curve™ Image Guided Surgery, Airo® Mobile Intraoperative CT, Buzz® Digital O.R., Kick® and Kick® EM Navigation, Brainlab NODE™ Planning Software, Quentry® Image Sharing and Collaboration, Elements™ Software Modules
Number of employees
1300
Websitewww.brainlab.com

History

Brainlab was founded by CEO Stefan Vilsmeier in Munich in 1989. Vilsmeier, then 17, laid the ground for the company with the proceeds from a book he published about 3D graphics.[1] The first Brainlab product was a mouse-controlled, menu-driven surgical planning and navigation software introduced in 1990 at the University of Vienna.[2] In 1992, Vilsmeier designed and built a tradeshow booth and booked exhibitor’s space at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, D.C. to showcase the software for the first time.[3]

In 1993, Brainlab developed a linear accelerator-based system for stereotactic radiosurgery using micromultileaf collimators.[4] Three years later, Brainlab entered into a partnership with Varian, Inc., which resulted in a long time collaboration in the field of radiosurgery.[5]

Brainlab expanded into the field of image-guided surgery in 1997 with the VectorVision Neuronavigation System and was the first to develop passive marker technology.[6] In 1998, Brainlab became a public limited company (German: Aktiengesellschaft (AG)) and put in place both a supervisory board, made up of shareholders and the management board, and the managing board (German: Vorstand). The managing board at Brainlab today consists of: Stefan Vilsmeier, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO); Rainer Birkenbach, Chief Technology Officer, and Jan Merker, Chief Operating Officer (COO).[7]

Brainlab introduced its first shaped-beam radiosurgery system, Novalis, in 1998.[8] Lance Armstrong, professional cyclist, who had battled testicular cancer in 1996, became the spokesperson for the Novalis brand.[9]

In 2007, the company released Novalis Tx Radiosurgery, a radiotherapy system jointly created by Brainlab and Varian Medical Systems, Inc.[10] A year later, Digital Lightbox was brought to the market, allowing digital patient images to be viewed and manipulated in the operating room. Digital Lightbox was transformed in 2012 into the current product Buzz Digital O.R.[11]

Other products include Curve Image Guided Surgery,[12] Kick Navigation and Kick EM Navigation,[13] and Buzz Digital O.R.[14] Brainlab was the exclusive distributor for 5 years of Airo® Mobile Intraoperative CT, developed and manufactured by Mobius Imaging, LLC.[15]

In March 2019 Smith & Nephew announced the acquisition of orthopedic joint reconstruction business unit of Brainlab to further its foray into robotic surgery. [16]

In 2019, Brainlab recalled the spine and trauma 3D software because it could display inaccurate information during a procedure that could prevent the surgeon from safely navigating surgical tools inside the patient. [17]

Headquarters

Brainlab began in the parental home of CEO and founder, Stefan Vilsmeier, in 1989.[18] By 1991, Brainlab had moved into its first official headquarters in the Munich suburb of Poing.[19] After a wave of new hires in 1995, a larger space was needed and headquarters moved to the Bavarian town of Heimstetten, Germany. In 2006, Brainlab constructed and moved into its headquarters in Feldkirchen, Germany, just outside Munich.[20] Edmund Stoiber, former minister-president of Bavaria, officially opened the new building in 2007.[21] In December 2016, Brainlab moved into a newly constructed headquarters in the Munich suburb of Riem[22] on the grounds of the former Munich-Riem Airport.[23] Featured speakers at the official inauguration ceremony on July 11, 2017, were the Bavarian State Minister Ilse Aigner and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.[24]

Stefan Vilsmeier

Stefan Vilsmeier, a self-taught computer programmer, is a German entrepreneur, inventor,[25] author, and founder, president and CEO of Brainlab.

In 2000, Vilsmeier became the youngest recipient of the Bavarian Order of Merit, presented to him by former Bavarian Minister President, Edmund Stoiber.[26] In 2001, Vilsmeier was awarded the national title of Entrepreneur of the Year in the category of Information Technology, by Ernst & Young. The following year, Ernst & Young awarded Vilsmeier with the title of World Entrepreneur of the Year at an awards event held in Monte Carlo.[27] Also in 2002, the World Economic Forum (WEF) selected Vilsmeier as one of their Global Leaders for Tomorrow 2003.[28] In 2014, Vilsmeier was awarded with the International Steven Hoogendijk Award from the Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte for his service as a pioneer in the development of neuronavigation systems.[29]

Acquisitions

In 2009, Brainlab began a partnership with Voyant Health, a Tel Aviv, Israel based company founded in 2003, focusing on orthopedic technology. In 2011, Brainlab announced that it would acquire Voyant Health[30]

Brainlab acquired Medineering and its line of robot-assisted surgery devices on March 20, 2019.[31][32]

gollark: I *also* had to patch over a bunch of debug stuff to make sure that unprivileged code can't read environments out of those too.
gollark: And can thus do actual IO when permitted.
gollark: They were defined in the out of sandbox environment, so quirkiness means that they get the unmodified global scope to see.
gollark: So it replaces the FS stuff the unprivileged code sees with its own hooks which ensure stuff is in the potatOS folder.
gollark: But PotatOS has to present an environment close to what a normal, potatOSless computer would have, for compatibility.

References
  1. "3D-Konstruktion mit GIGA-CAD Plus auf dem C64/C128", C64 Wiki, date accessed: September 8, 2016
  2. "Movers and Shakers Interview with Stefan Vilsmeier, CEO – BrainLAB" Frost and Sullivan Market Insight, May 5, 2003
  3. "Sunday Sitdown with Stefan Vilsmeier, CEO of med-tech firm Brainlab Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine" Sandra Guy, Chicago Sun Times, June 20, 2016
  4. ed. Meyer, John L., "IMRT, IGRT, SBRT: Advances in the Treatment Planning and Delivery of Radiotherapy", S. Karger AG, 2007, p. 14
  5. "Varian and Brainlab Combine TrueBeam STx with the Novalis Radiosurgery Program" Medical Technology Business Europe, August 2, 2010
  6. Tamaki, Norihiko; Ehara, Kazumasa. (1998) "Introduction of the Passive Marker Neuronavigation System VectorVision", Computer-Assisted Neurosurgery (Tokyo: Springer-Verlag) pp 23-37 ISBN 978-4-431-65891-7
  7. "" Brainlab Management Board, accessed January 29, 2018
  8. "UCLA Surgeons to Wield Powerful New Weapon that Offers Hope to Patients with Brain Tumors Archived 2016-09-20 at the Wayback Machine" Kim Irwin, UCLA Newsroom, September 25, 1998
  9. ""New device beams hope in continuous cancer fight - Cyclist Lance Armstrong unveils new technology at Arundel medical center Annapolis" Gabriel Baird, The Baltimore Sun, December 20, 2002
  10. "Varian, BrainLAB showcase Novalis Tx" Health Imaging, December 20, 2007
  11. "Brainlab Introduces New Multi-Touch Surgical Information Hub" PR Newswire, October 3, 2012
  12. "Breakthrough In Guided Surgery Technology Launched By Brainlab", Medical News Today, October 5, 2011
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2015-09-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Brainlab Introduces Buzz Digital OR (video)" MedGadget, October 9, 2012
  15. "Mobius Imaging Receives FDA Approval for Airo Mobile Intraoperative CT" MedGadget, October 10, 2013
  16. "Smith & Nephew Acquires Brainlab Orthopaedic Joint Reconstruction Business". Brainlab. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  17. Kelly, Susan (2019-04-17). "Brainlab recalls spine 3D navigation software for incorrect display". MedTech Dive. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  18. "Map maker for the human body" Peter Marsh, Financial Times, January 8, 2008
  19. "Map maker for the human body" Peter Marsh, Financial Times, January 8, 2008
  20. "Jeden Tag ein neuer Mitarbeiter (German)" Michaela Geiger, Welt N24, November 15, 2011
  21. "Bei Brainlab gibt sich Stoiber betont entspannt (German)" Andreas Raith, Münchner Merkur, Updated June 4, 2009
  22. "Anschluss für den Tower (German(" Alfred Dürr, Süddeutsche Zeitung, January 14, 2014
  23. http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/riem-wo-frueher-flugzeuge-starteten-entsteht-jetzt-high-tech-1.3581631
  24. https://www.stmwi.bayern.de/service/mediathek/mediathek/nc/pm/39623/
  25. "Patents by Inventor Stefan Vilsmeier" Justia Patents, retrieved on September 9, 2016
  26. Helmut Schönenberger "Kommunikation von Unternehmertum: Eine explorative Untersuchung im universitären Umfeld" Deutscher Universitäts-Verlag, 2005, p. 161
  27. ""World Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Past Winners" Ernst & Young, retrieved on September 9, 2016
  28. "Movers and Shakers Interview with Stefan Vilsmeier, CEO – Brainlab" Frost & Sullivan, May 5, 2003
  29. "Uitreiking van de International Steven Hoogendijk Award (Dutch)" Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte, retrieved September 9, 2016
  30. "Brainlab acquires Voyant Health Ltd." Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Imaging Technology News, June 8, 2011
  31. Perriello, Brad. "Brainlab acquires Medineering's robotics platform". Mass Device. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  32. "Brainlab Acquires Robotics Platform Company Medineering". www.businesswire.com. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
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