In a study published in the KeAi journal Intelligent Surgery, Chinese researchers performed a remote robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy over 1200 km away utilizing the Edge Multi-Port Endoscopic Surgical Robot MP1000 (Edge MP1000) and 5G communication technology.
The surgical team and the Edge Multi-Port Endoscopic Surgical Robot MP1000 (Edge MP1000) surgical system. Image Credit: Wei Zhang
Telemedicine provides patients in remote places with remote consultation and treatment, addressing challenges connected to the uneven distribution and growth of medical resources. However, technical and operational challenges remain in the application of remote surgery, particularly in terms of data transmission speed and surgical precision.
The surgery, aired live throughout the network, illustrates the viability of this technique and ushers in a new era in remote medical technology.
The surgeon was stationed in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing, China.The surgical console was used to enter operational instructions, which were then communicated via the dedicated network data line to the slave console in Wuhan and translated into actual operating actions.
The three-dimensional images collected by the endoscope from the slave console served as visual signals, and they were communicated back to the surgeon console’s screen in real-time via a dedicated 5G network line, resulting in a closed-loop system.
Notably, the surgical robot’s remote communication host system could monitor and record the surgical procedure and network state while also delivering intelligent aid services. There was enough engagement between the crews on both sides to enable clear communication and implicit cooperation.
This achieved the specific requirements of low latency, high precision and high reliability for surgical operations. Data showed that the bidirectional latency during the surgery was only 19 ms, with a maximum jitter of about 3 ms in rare moments, and a frame drop rate of approximately 0.2%.
Yuanguang Meng, Study Lead Researcher and Professor. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, PLA General Hospital
The patient healed well after surgery and was released on the fourth day with no postoperative problems.
Journal Reference:
Huang, J. et. al. (2024) Feasibility and safety evaluation of ultra-remote robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy. Intelligent Surgery. doi.org/10.1016/j.isurg.2024.09.001