Technology
Stryker Another major player in the robotics sector is Styker – with over one million Mako procedures having now been performed globally. Its technology offering, Mako SmartRobotics, combines three key components: 3D CT- based planning, AccuStop haptic technology, and Insightful Data Analytics, into one platform. The Royal Derby Hospital is believed to be the first centre in the East Midlands to have MAKO assisted robotic surgery and is one of a few hospitals in the country participating in the RACER clinical trial which assesses the benefits of this technology in lower limb joint replacement surgery. Patients initially undergo a CT scan on their hip or knee joint which, with the help of sophisticated technology and computer programming, creates a personalised image and care plan for each individual patient. These images are then made available to clinicians during surgery to give them a detailed picture of the joint they are operating on. All of this information is also fed through the
robot itself which then assists the surgeon to make incisions with millimetric precision when they are fitting the new joint prosthetic to allow for better outcomes and improved rates of recovery for the patient. Mr Simon Pickering, Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon, said it is hoped that using the robot will also mean knee or hip replacements will last longer, benefitting both the patient and making joint replacements more cost effective for the NHS. He commented: “The robot helps us to put
the replacement joint in the best position which means it is less invasive and painful for the patient, who is then likely to respond to rehabilitation better as a result of this. “It will also have real benefits in terms of
how long a patient stays in hospital. We want to reduce the number of nights a patient stays in hospital because it’s better for their recovery and we think the robot will allow that. We also hope that the patient may have this functioning replacement for 20-25 years instead of 15 years which is great not only for the patient’s quality of life, as we may be able to avoid a further operation in the future, but also makes the procedures far more cost effective for the NHS. “If people are not having to have another
operation because their replacement’s worn out and patients are staying in hospital for one day instead of three, there will be some really good cost savings if it’s proven to work. It’s really exciting.”
While the robot itself provides an innovative
way to operate, it is also improving patient experience with patients having less invasive surgery and being allowed to leave hospital
quicker than before with a better recovery. Mr Conal Quah, a Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon who is leading the trial for the Trust, said it vastly improves the surgery patients receive. He said: “There is real value in trialling new
technology and advancing what we already know. While all these surgeons are very good and here in Derby and we have good results, this is the next level, and I am a real advocate for this technology because I think it’s the best way for us to move forward in how we do things. The patients are really happy with what’s been done and are making good progress.”
Nano-robots In addition to the integration of intelligent data, image guidance and robotics, theatres can expect to see some exciting applications of miniaturised robots coming to the fore. There has already been some interesting innovation in this field, although it is early days. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science
(IISc) and IISc-incubated startup, Theranautilus, found that nano-sized robots manipulated using a magnetic field can help kill bacteria deep inside dentinal tubules, and boost the success of root canal treatments. A multidisciplinary team of robotics and
electronic systems engineers working with cardiologists and materials scientists have also developed a medical robotic apparatus that uses an external magnetic field to precisely and remotely control guidewires through tiny and tortuous blood vessels. The team, led by researchers at
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), say the apparatus could minimise the exposure of physicians to X-ray radiation while looking for and treating narrowed or blocked blood vessels. They are already planning to further modify the apparatus so that it can also target vessels in the nervous system and lungs. Researchers have also created nanoscale
robots which could be used to manage bleeds in the brain caused by aneurysms. The development could enable precise, relatively low-risk treatment of brain aneurysms, which cause around 500,000 deaths globally each year. The study points to a future where tiny
robots could be remotely controlled to carry out complex tasks inside the human body – such as targeted drug delivery and organ repair – in a minimally invasive way, researchers say. The team, involving researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, engineered magnetic nanorobots – about a twentieth the size of a human red blood cell – comprising blood-clotting drugs encased in a protective coating, designed to melt at precise temperatures.
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