Dr Vikas Chandra Jha’s AIIMS-Patna Team Patents a Safer Way to Operate on the Brain

A multidisciplinary team at AIIMS-Patna, led by Dr Vikas Chandra Jha, professor and head of the department of neurosurgery, has patented a tubular brain retractor built to make deep-seated brain surgery safer, faster and cheaper.

The device works as either a floating or a fixed tubular retractor depending on the complexity of the operation and integrates with neuronavigation and robotic platforms, giving surgeons precision of 1-2mm when navigating delicate brain structures. The Government of India granted the patent for the indigenous device, and its technical design and clinical results have been published in the journal Neurosurgical Review.

Standard open brain surgery requires large cranial openings and substantial handling of healthy brain tissue to reach deep lesions. AIIMS-Patna says the new retractor instead lets surgeons operate through a much narrower corridor, cutting wound size and blood loss, reducing the risk of postoperative neurological deficits, and shortening recovery time and hospital stays.

The cost benefits could be significant: the retractor’s manufacturing cost is estimated at 80-90% lower than imported devices, and AIIMS-Patna expects it to reduce the overall cost of minimally invasive brain surgeries by 30-40%, extending access to advanced neurosurgical care for economically weaker patients.

Alongside Dr Jha, the project involved neurosurgeons Dr Nitish, Dr Vivek Saran Sinha, Dr Gaurav, Dr Rahul and Dr Sangam, as well as the department of anaesthesiology. AIIMS-Patna’s director said the device underscores the institute’s commitment to pioneering affordable, world-class medical technology.