Another milestone has been hit in the medical field.
According to UC San Diego Today, a collaboration between University of California San Diego engineers and surgeons led two teleoperated humanoid robots, nicknamed Surgie, to perform two surgeries in a preclinical trial on “large non-primate mammals.” This marked a world first.
In the first surgery, a humanoid robot, assisted by a human surgeon, removed a gallbladder. The second surgery was performed with two humanoid robots working together. The success of the two surgeries validated the use of humanoid robots in the operating room, according to researchers, who suggested introducing them first as assistants.
Researchers also noted that humanoid robots can be transported easily to work in under-resourced areas, occupy less space in the operating room, are more cost-effective, and offer greater versatility in performing procedures and general tasks, per UC San Diego Today.
“This study shows that humanoid robots have a viable future in the field of surgery. You can imagine these robots being deployed in remote communities where staffing is challenging, or in austere environments like search and rescue scenarios where a massive deployment of field medicine is needed in a short period of time,” Michael Yip, a faculty member in the UC San Diego Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said, according to UC San Diego Today.
Researchers said there are not enough surgeons available to meet patients’ needs. The robots could make operating rooms more efficient by reducing wait times and expanding access to healthcare.
“Remotely operated and autonomous humanoid robots have real potential for amplifying access to critical surgeries to which patients would otherwise not have access. This can help address the healthcare crisis not only in the United States, but also worldwide,” Yip explained, according to UC San Diego Today.
While some technical issues still need to be worked out — including addressing a lag between the human operator and the robot’s movement — the new technology shows promising signs for the future of medicine.
