Virtual Incision, the developer of the miniaturized robotic-assisted MIRA Surgical System, and Sovato Health, a provider of remote surgery systems, say they have successfully completed a preclinical demonstration of nearly 40,000 miles combined distance.
Four surgeons performed a total of 20 procedures on porcine models as part of the remote capabilities test, representing approximately 2,000 miles for each procedure.
Francesco Maria Bianco, MD, from the University of Illinois Chicago, and Yanghee Woo, MD, Yasmin Zerhouni, MD, and Clayton Lau, MD, from City of Hope National Medical Center, leveraged the combined technology of Virtual Incision and Sovato to complete the remote cholecystectomy, colectomy, gastric mobilization/gastrostomy/primary closure, and nephrectomy procedures on porcine models.
Yuman Fong, MD, chair and professor of City of Hope’s Department of Surgery and president-elect of Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (CRSA), oversaw the design and completion of the wet lab demonstration.
The Sovato Platform provided the surgical-grade network connectivity between the physicians’ location in Santa Barbara, CA, and the porcine models in Chicago, IL, as well as clinical workflows and immersive audio visuals for intraoperative communication.
The results demonstrate the safe enablement of surgery at a distance for a variety of complex and routine surgical procedures and the unique benefits miniaturization offers in expanding access to robotic-assisted surgery.
Remote surgery will help address the needs of more than half the world’s population that does not currently have access to high-quality surgical care, including 83 million Americans who must travel for routine procedures.
Robotic-assisted technologies have the potential to enable minimally invasive surgery for these patients by allowing a surgeon to operate from a distant location.
MIRA, the first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery (miniRAS) device in development, is roughly 1,000 times lighter than existing RAS technologies.
As the only small form factor RAS device, it has the potential to make remote surgery more feasible by enabling transportation, storage, and reduced setup time at locations where robotics is not currently available.
Piet Hinoul, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Virtual Incision, says: “Virtual Incision’s vision is that miniaturization could make robotic-assisted surgery available to any patient, anytime, anywhere, and we believe this could potentially extend even further with the possibility of remote surgery.
“This experiment demonstrates the usability and reproducibility across multiple specialties, even when operating from a distance.
“We look forward to continuing to assess MIRA for use across a broad range of procedures and are eager to extend upon the benefits miniaturization brings.”
As the remote-enabling technology solution, Sovato provided stable network connectivity, with low latency of “less than 60 milliseconds and 0 percent packet loss” enabling clear person-to-person communication and effective completion of the procedures, in addition to a user-reported intraoperative experience comparable to performing remote procedures in person.
Dennis Fowler, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at Sovato, says: “These wet lab results provide evidence that by connecting the people, devices, and information systems required for remote surgery, the Sovato Platform restores situational awareness and offers clear person-to-person communication for all the providers participating in remote procedures.
“We are thrilled by the ongoing success of these demonstrations and the continued confidence and enthusiasm the surgeons have toward remote capabilities.”
Dr Fong says: “The successful completion of these remote robotic-assisted procedures with miniaturized robotics proves we are close to enabling unprecedented access to best-in-class surgical care.
“Remote surgery will allow a surgeon sitting in one location to help patients in many locations – in different cities, states, or even countries.
“Remote capabilities will extend surgical expertise, enhance training opportunities, and provide access to high-quality surgical care like never before.
“City of Hope is proud to lead this encouraging step forward in clinical robotics that could become the future of our surgical industry, and most importantly, we are proud of the access this technology will provide, where patients anywhere can be operated on by specialized cancer surgeons like those at City of Hope.”
