NEWS
Landmark first deployment of surgical AI products
Digital Surgery has announced the deployment of its artificial intelligence (AI) technology stack for surgery, the first of its kind, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske, part of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. The deployment of the company’s product for hospitals, Touch Surgery Enterprise, into operating theatres will enable surgeons, trainees and surgical team members to access videos of their cases safely and securely, via mobile or web, shortly after the case finishes. This allows for improved self-reflection, peer review, communication with non-surgical colleagues, and preoperative preparation. “We are delighted to be working with the excellent teams at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Their commitment to quality and safety, as well as teaching and innovation, has been truly inspiring. With this deployment, we accelerate surgery towards more consistent and higher quality outcomes using cutting-edge computer vision products,” said Dr Jean Nehme, CEO of Digital Surgery.
“Innovations in anaesthesia and med tech have transformed the way surgery is performed. However, we can and should always find opportunities to do better for patients. I’m proud that we are working with committed clinical partners such as the Royal Cornwall Hospital to take on this challenge.” Digital Surgery’s technology stack – which
utilises compact hardware and advanced AI algorithms – enables automatic processing and uploading of surgical videos for surgeons and their teams. In many hospitals, surgical videos, the richest source of operative information, are often unused or discarded, in large part due to the sensitive nature of the information held within. Until now, the main way to access surgical videos has been to download them manually from theatre recorders or hospital media rooms, a painstaking process which may take hours. Digital Surgery’s proprietary hardware, the DS1 computer, designed and manufactured in the UK, plugs into any existing recording equipment or theatre screen and runs real- time, in situ AI algorithms to redact out-of-body footage. All frames containing potentially identifiable information belonging to the patient or surgical team are safeguarded, making the video safe to handle within a hospital or Trust. Videos are uploaded to secure, AWS-hosted personal spaces and are immediately available via the Touch Surgery Enterprise software product. Lord David Prior, chairman of the NHS England, said: “The technology developed by Digital Surgery has the potential to transform the performance of the operating theatre and to improve surgical outcomes. This is a great example of British technology and I am delighted that it is being adopted by the NHS.”
Project to develop new technology receives Heart
Research UK grant A project at Ulster University aiming to develop a better way of powering mechanical heart pumps used to treat heart failure has received a grant of almost £250,000 from national charity Heart Research UK. The Novel and Emerging Technologies (NET) grant has been awarded to Professor Omar Escalona and his team at Ulster University and at Craigavon Area Hospital (SHSCT) to develop an innovative wireless power system for heart pumps used to support patients with heart failure.
Mr James Clark FRCS PHD (consultant upper GI and general surgeon) reviews AI- safeguarded surgical videos with Mr Mohammad Shaban (general surgery specialist registrar), after the case using Touch Surgery Professional)
Around 920,000 people in the UK are currently living with heart failure, and one-fifth of patients die within one year of diagnosis. While the only effective solution is a transplant, mechanical pumps known as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can support a failing heart. However, the electric power is supplied to LVADs via a driveline cable through the skin which leads to a high incidence of infection. Prof Escalona and his team are developing a new wireless system which transmits electromagnetic wave pulses of energy in a new way, meaning tissues can cool down between energy transmission pulses. If successful, this could improve clinical outcomes.
Central Medical Supplies celebrates 30th anniversary
Staff at Leek-based Central Medical Supplies are celebrating the company’s 30th Anniversary at the end of September with the whole company coming together to recognise the business’s achievements over the past three decades. Founded in 1989 by Philip Champ who remains at the helm as MD, Central Medical Supplies (CMS) initially launched as an exclusive UK distributor of medical devices to the NHS and private sector acute hospitals. Philip wanted to use his medical sales background to create a problem-
solving, forward thinking company that would always seek to bring new innovations to the market.
Philip Champ, MD at CMS, said: “We can’t 10 I
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believe how quickly 30 years have passed. During this time we have consistently innovated and adapted our products in line with the demands of our customers.”
NOVEMBER 2019
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