Facility - Neurosurgical Innovations and Training Center

The Weill Cornell Neurosurgical Innovations and Training Center is a unique and dedicated 1,200-square-foot facility that contains five adjacent surgical workstations designed to closely recreate the setting of a working operating room.

Each workstation is equipped with an electrically adjustable operating table with integrated skull clamp and brain retractor systems, Zeiss Pentero surgical microscopes with dual 3D cameras, a Karl Storz endoscopic platform, and a Medtronic electric drill system with full console integration. Every station also includes ceiling-mounted surgical lighting, comprehensive surgical instrument sets, and wall-mounted suction, air, and water lines.

Neuronavigation, exoscopes, pneumatic arms, and ultrasonic aspirators/bone-cutter are also available are within the facility. Radiolucent table extenders and skull clamps are also available for use with fluoroscopy.

Each station is equipped with a 3D multi-channel content management system for recording, streaming, and archiving images and videos in both 2D and 3D. The 3D displays at each stations allows for live over-the-shoulder instruction and can seamlessly switch between the microscope, endoscope, and exoscope feeds. The integrated streaming system allows faculty to follow dissections remotely or perform live dissections in real-team for dissemination anywhere in the world.

The facility also includes a cold room capable of storing upwards of 200 cadaveric specimens, a high-capacity sink and filtration system for safe tissue handling, and specialized equipment for specimen preparation, fixation, injection, and preservation.

Several 2D and 3D projectors and a retractable screen allow for immersive didactic instruction.

Five 3D computer workstations allow fellows to access, review, and annotate their recorded photos and videos from our content management system, facilitating post-dissection review.

The center is designed to accommodate up to five fellows concurrently in a purposeful and focused environment.

This unique setting provides fellows and residents with all of the tools necessary for skills development, from the most basic to the highest levels of technical complexity.

The facility itself is highly configurable, allowing the space to be setup in different layouts to support courses, bioskills labs, industry device development and testing, and meetings.