Singapore, November 15, 2007 - Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), the largest healthcare group in Singapore and BrainLAB AG, a global leader in software-driven systems for targeted, less-invasive medical treatments, officially inaugurated a unique digitally integrated surgical centre at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) today. Funded largely by a generous donation from the Estate of the late Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, the new facility, Khoo Teck Puat - NNI Integrated Neuroscience Centre, is the first of its kind to provide the full range of treatment options in highly complex surgical procedures, such as neurosurgery.

This state-of-the-art centre, which has taken one year of planning and construction to complete, includes five operating suites, three of them with integrated intra-operative imaging capabilities. Its digital infrastructure provides clinicians with timely and effective information that enables more treatment options, better-informed medical decisions, and the ability to seamlessly combine multiple treatment types. The facility at SGH sets a new standard in patient care - from diagnostics through treatment - for improved clinical results and higher cost effectiveness.

"SGH is the first hospital worldwide to offer the full range of intra-operative imaging (MRI, CT, 3D C-arm). Our physicians can now choose the most suitable imaging technology for each patient and disease. This adds to the highly skilled expertise of our surgeons and puts SGH on the map as a Global Centre of Excellence. It also means that our patients can look forward to safer and faster procedures with greater precision," commented Professor Tan Ser Kiat, Group CEO of SingHealth and CEO of SGH.

"This comprehensive all-in-one facility will be able to enhance a neurosurgeon's surgical planning and exploration experience, especially for complex neurosurgical operations, which makes up 50% of all cases seen at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI). It will allow the surgeons to look at the precise images of a patient's brain before, during and right after surgery. This allows us to decide whether further procedures are required and translates to better outcome for patients," said Associate Professor Ivan Ng, Senior Consultant & Head of Neurosurgery Department, NNI and SGH.

Leveraging leading technologies from BrainLAB the facility will have a strong impact on other clinical specialties beyond neuroscience, provide opportunities for research and education, and boost Singapore's position as a regional medical hub. SGH will also be the reference centre for the BrainLAB "Intelligent Treatment Framework", providing cutting-edge technology for the following applications:

- Neurosurgical and orthopaedic procedures like spine, and head & neck surgery: BrainSUITE® iMRI, BrainSUITE iCT and Fluoro 3D: three fully integrated workflow-optimised operating rooms that combine image-guided surgery and intra-operative imaging and data management technology. BrainSUITE solutions integrate the latest Siemens Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner (iMRI), Computed Tomography scanner (iCT) and digital C-arm x-ray system (Fluoro 3D). Furthermore, two mobile navigation systems from BrainLAB can be utilized in combination with existing endoscopes, microscopes, fluoroscopes or ultrasound for orthopaedic and ENT surgery.

- Radiotherapy for treatment of cancers, arteriovenous malformations and other lesions of the brain: With Novalis®, SGH offers an integrated radiosurgery system that shapes beams of focused high-energy radiation from all angles to deliver non-invasive, precise treatments that shrink or control the growth of tumour cells in the brain, head, neck, spine, liver, lung and prostate. Novalis helps to reduce damage to healthy surrounding tissue significantly. Since its adoption in May 2007, more than 100 patients have benefited from Novalis treatment at SGH.

- Data management: With the BrainSUITE NET solution, physicians gain full access from the operating room to Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS), pre-, intra- and post-operative patient data and video signals, all from a single touchscreen interface. Clinicians can easily manipulate how and where information is displayed, from the monitors to the entire OR team to remote rooms for consulting and real-time education.

- Treatment Planning: iPlan® Net allows for remote planning of surgical procedures, sharing patient information across different subspecialties. It is used in conjunction with Digital Lightbox , a new information display, enabling access to and manipulation of all major image modalities and planning information. Via iPlan Net, clinicians can now plan treatment from anywhere in the hospital, significantly reducing the need to invest in hardware.

Stefan Vilsmeier, founder and CEO of BrainLAB said: "BrainLAB aims to provide surgeons and clinicians with complete, integrated, and information-centric solutions that elevate their treatment experience and to the next level, easily assessing critical patient and diagnostic data across the entire chain of contact - from the consultation room to the operating theatre." He added: "Asia-Pacific is an important market for BrainLAB and we are committed to helping forward-thinking medical institutions like SGH achieve a new level of integration and patient care that leverages on medical expertise and advanced digital technology for better clinical outcomes."