NeuroSAPHIRE Neuronavigation System

High-quality and affordable Neuronavigation system for emerging and third world countries.

The journey started in 2018-19 when Dr. Nilesh (Founder, Neurosurgeon, and Epilepsy Specialist) shared that India has approximately twelve million Epilepsy patients. Most patients do not opt for the surgical option even when that is the only option they have and continue to suffer. Few patients undertake very expensive neurosurgeries. We believe that India has the most talented pool of doctors in the world. However, due to the lack of availability of neuronavigation systems, doctors are unable to deliver the best surgical outcomes, especially in rural or small cities. Indian hospitals "can not afford" Neuronavigation systems which are mandatory in the western part of the world. As the brain is the most complex organ in the human body, neurosurgeons require extreme precision to navigate through brain structures. And that’s what the RXOOM team aims to challenge. With the application of NeuroNavigation systems, the rate of epileptic surgery can be increased by 70 percent. By adopting the Neuronavigation system, the number of cities where epileptic surgery can be performed can be significantly increased. 

This device helps make neurosurgeries safer and helps faster patient recovery.  Rxoom team decided to build "NeuroSAPIR" - a made-in-India neuronavigation system. 

Neuronavigation and stereotaxy are techniques designed to help neurosurgeons precisely localize different intracerebral pathological processes by using a set of preoperative images (CT, MRI, fMRI, PET, etc.)

Neuronavigation systems basics (what is it and what does it do) are explained in the video link given by the founder Dr. Nilesh Kuwale. 

The following features in NeurSAPIR (Neuronavigation system from Rxoom) are first in this segment:

a) Navigation arm with an active feedback loop system.

b) Bimanual workflow to achieve maximal accuracy and comfort.

c) Volume rendering for Epilepsy surgical procedures for the best user experience.

d) Virtual Trajectory and brain slicing.

e) Three patents have also been filed.

The team has designed and manufactured surgical tools and Operation Theater Trolley. The design and implementation of the software are done by a team of engineers, neurosurgeons, and neuroscientists from across the globe.

The Biomedical Device Industry is on the cusp of disruption like the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry went through two decades ago. The lack of an affordable Neuronavigation system is a real problem in India and third-world countries across the globe. Rxoom has a solution that competes on cost, quality, and features. Rxoom solution is designed/tested by a Neurosurgeon, developed by a technical leader, and built under the leadership of a Senior
business leader. This company's business model can produce sustainable long-term revenue growth. Rxoom's problem-solving and cost-saving product can
grab market share and change the competitive landscape. It can dramatically change the way Neuro surgeries are done in India & third-world countries. This product is a win for patients, neurosurgeons, and hospitals across third-world countries. It will forklift the quality of neurosurgery and speed of patient recovery and overall help mankind.

Rxoom has three founders. One of the founders (Dr. Nilesh Kurwale) is a veteran neurosurgeon who has used a neuronavigation system for 15+ years. Dr. Nilesh has done 500+ Epilepsy Surgeries across India and is among the top five in the country. Dr. Nilesh has completed his education M.Ch. Neurosurgery in AIIMS. He has got a Fellowship in Epilepsy Surgery from AIIMS and Functional Neurosurgery from Jefferson USA. The second founder is a veteran business leader (Dr. Sundar Rajan) who has completed his MS and Ph.D. in BioMedical Engineering from Ohio State University. He has been MD & VP in Selectica (India), CEO at DataPro Electronics, and Founder of Altius Technologies. The third founder (Sanjay S.) is a veteran Engineering leader in software design and development. He has two plus decades of experience in software engineering and founder of startup iHealthMantra. Overall the team size is 15. 

The Neuronavigation system (NeuroSAPIR) has already been used in 60+ neurosurgeries to gather necessary data for clinical trials. Working is ongoing to get CDSCO approvals (Indian FDA) by Dec 2022 - the first inspection is at end of October 2022. Six Neuronavigation systems have been built to date - purchase orders for 3 systems received and 3 systems are demo units. 

This is a game changer for India and the rest of third-world countries as we democratize healthcare.

The founder Dr. Nilesh Kurwale has done 500+ Neurosurgeries and has been an aggressive user of Neuronavigation systems currently available in the market. So the needs of the surgeon are very well understood. Also the needs of the hospital and patients are well understood.

The price at which Neuronavigation systems are currently sold in the Indian market is very high and prohibitive - hospitals cannot afford it and also the patients. Rxoom labs NeuroSAPIR gives tough competition to current market participants on features/functionality and quality. The current price of NeuroSAPIR is 50% of the competitor's price and we plan to bring down this price further by 50% with optimizations. This product will dramatically change the market size/competition and could easily make this product "mandatory" for neurosurgeries in India in the next few years. Currently, this product is not mandatory in India.

1) Expect to be a "Trusted", "Ethical" and "High Quality" Biomedical device company. 

2) Expect to sell $10M worth of Neuronavigation Systems (185 units) by March 2025

3) Expect to have completed 1000+ surgeries across India by Dec 2023.

4) Expect to launch Robotic Arm driven Neuronavigation system by March 2024

The solution is primarily that runs on MAC OS. This is the first solution that will use MAC OS compared to others using Windows. The inherent quality and stability of MAC OS will be leveraged by this critical application. The solution uses iMAC 5K display for graphics-intensive applications and reduces strain on the eyes of Neurosurgeons. The world's best camera is used so we can compete well with current market leaders. Software development is done using in-house build algorithms and leveraging open-source software.

We plan to build and sell 50 Neuronavigation systems (Dec 2023).

1) Getting government approval for the product

2) Need capital/funding to build the system

3) Need know-how and get approvals to sell it internationally.

Rxoom Healthcare has worked with NetApp Excellerator. NetApp has provided Rxoom guidance in a lot of business areas (Marketing, branding, Media Coverage) and technical guidance for cloud integration. NetApp Excellerator has also given $15K support as Rxoom.

The price paid by hospitals for medical devices is transferred to the patients. By selling a world-class Neuronavigation system at an extremely competitive price, the cost of neuro surgeries will go down by thousands of dollars.

Angel investors have invested $25OK to help the company to build prototypes and bring the product to the market. Rxoom will seek a Series A investment 2023 of $5M to scale production and sales growth trajectory. Rxoom will seek government funding for new research projects in the pipeline. Rxoom will seek to attract Indian corporate CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds for deploying the system in hospitals. Rxoom will have an annual maintenance contract which will serve as a constant revenue stream. New innovations are being planning which will help establish this company as a leader in this new emerging space in India.