Using a PlayStation controller, doctors in Zurich, Switzerland successfully performed surgery in Hong Kong, 9,300 km away.
Using a PlayStation controller, surgeons in Switzerland successfully performed laparoscopic surgery on a lab pig 9,300km away in Hong Kong, a technique that is hoped to pave the way for remote, highly specialised medical treatments for humans in remote areas without adequate medical facilities.
Many common surgical procedures are already performed “remotely” in various ways, and ultimately, the surgeon does not have to physically enter the operating room to perform them. So if live camera feeds and motion-integrated solutions can already support a simple remote surgery, the researchers ask, shouldn’t the same be done across the world with more advanced modalities?
A joint study by scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) took that gap to the next level. A robotic system and a magnetic endoscope were used at the Hong Kong facility, connected via a protocol called WebSocket to stream real-time data directly to a console in Zurich. Doctors in Switzerland monitored the procedure via a video feed and entered control instructions using a video game controller.
A magnetic endoscope has a series of magnets running along its length, so it can be steered by controlling a magnetic field outside the patient. This is exactly what the surgeon in Zurich used, an old PlayStation Move device. The scientists then performed the experimental surgeries using a PlayStation 5 controller, which is easier to use and more portable today than older generation devices like the PS Move.
In this test, conducted on a live, anesthetized pig, the scientists were able to bend the endoscope into a complete U-shaped loop and even take a usable biopsy sample of the animal’s stomach lining tissue. Despite the long distance, the delay was kept below 300 milliseconds, fast enough for the doctor to react in near real time.
The team said the success of the experiment suggests remote surgery could soon be possible on humans. The robot has given surgeons an extra set of hands to perform delicate operations, especially on delicate organs such as the heart and eyes.
The ultimate goal is to help patients in remote areas where local specialists may not be available to perform advanced treatments. It could even bring surgical procedures to astronauts in space.
