Latest news with #medicalrobotics
Sustainability Times
14-07-2025
- Health
- Sustainability Times
'Not a Single Mistake': World's First Autonomous Surgical Robot Completes Complex Procedure With 100% Accuracy and Zero Human Intervention
IN A NUTSHELL 🤖 The SRT-H robot, developed at Johns Hopkins University, performed a successful gallbladder surgery with human-like precision. robot, developed at Johns Hopkins University, performed a successful gallbladder surgery with human-like precision. 📚 Trained on surgical videos, the robot can learn and adapt in real-time, enhancing its ability to handle complex procedures. in real-time, enhancing its ability to handle complex procedures. 🛠️ Equipped with machine learning technology similar to ChatGPT, SRT-H responds to voice commands and adjusts based on feedback. technology similar to ChatGPT, SRT-H responds to voice commands and adjusts based on feedback. 🔍 While not yet used on human patients, the robot's success in trials points to a future of autonomous surgery with minimal human oversight. In a groundbreaking development, an autonomous robot has performed a surgery with remarkable precision, moving us closer to an era where the only human presence in the operating room might be the patient. This achievement marks a significant milestone in medical robotics, showcasing the potential for machines to conduct complex procedures independently. The robot, trained by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, has demonstrated its ability to perform a gallbladder removal surgery with a level of skill comparable to experienced surgeons. This not only underscores the robot's capabilities but also highlights the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The Rise of SRT-H: A New Era in Surgical Robotics Named SRT-H (Surgical Robot Transformer-Hierarchy), this robot represents a leap beyond traditional surgical robots. Unlike its predecessors, SRT-H is not limited to executing pre-programmed tasks. Instead, it can respond and learn in real-time, adapting to the unpredictable nature of surgical procedures. This ability is a game-changer, as it allows the robot to navigate the complexities of surgery with a level of autonomy previously unattainable. The robot's training involved analyzing videos of surgical operations, enabling it to internalize and replicate the steps involved in a gallbladder removal procedure. During its trials, SRT-H successfully completed the surgery multiple times on a realistic human-like model, closely mimicking the intricacies of human tissue. This accomplishment is a testament to the robot's ability to perform tasks such as identifying ducts and arteries, applying clips, and using scissors with surgical precision. 'This Solar Ship Is the Future of River Travel,' Declares Visionary Engineer as 192 Sun-Powered Panels Drive the World's First Inland Marvel Understanding the Technology Behind SRT-H At the core of SRT-H's capabilities lies an advanced machine learning architecture, akin to the technology that powers AI systems like ChatGPT. This allows the robot to process voice commands from medical staff, making it a valuable assistant in the operating room. The robot's ability to adjust its actions based on real-time feedback is crucial for addressing unexpected challenges during surgery. The significance of this advancement is underscored by comments from medical roboticist Azwl Krieger, who highlighted the robot's transition from performing isolated tasks to truly understanding surgical procedures. This transformation is pivotal in creating autonomous surgical systems that are viable in real-world clinical settings, where unpredictability is the norm. 'This Ship Shouldn't Exist': Japan's Shocking Launch of World's First Dual LCO2 and Methanol Supercarrier Redefines Everything Real-World Implications and Future Directions While the SRT-H robot has achieved remarkable success in controlled environments, it is not yet ready for use on actual human patients. Nonetheless, its performance in trials provides a glimpse into the future of surgery, where robots could perform procedures with minimal human intervention. The development team envisions a future where SRT-H and similar robots are trained to conduct a wide range of surgeries, further reducing the need for human oversight. As Ji Woong 'Brian' Kim, a key figure in the development of SRT-H, noted, the reliability of AI models for surgical autonomy is now demonstrable. This progress opens up new possibilities for enhancing surgical precision and safety, potentially revolutionizing patient care by minimizing human error and improving outcomes. 'This Defies Everything We Knew': Sun-Powered Sponge Turns Saltwater Into Freshwater Without Using a Single Watt of Electricity Challenges and Ethical Considerations Despite the promising advancements, several challenges and ethical considerations remain. The transition from controlled models to live human surgeries involves significant scrutiny and regulatory approvals. Moreover, the reliance on autonomous systems raises questions about accountability and the role of human surgeons in the decision-making process. As the field of surgical robotics continues to evolve, it is crucial to address these ethical complexities while ensuring that technological advancements align with the principles of patient safety and care. The journey toward fully autonomous surgical robots will require ongoing collaboration between engineers, medical professionals, and ethicists to navigate these challenges responsibly. As we stand on the brink of a new era in healthcare, the question remains: How will the integration of autonomous robots in surgery reshape the landscape of medical practice, and what implications will it have for the future of patient care? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.2/5 (24)
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Autonomous robot performs first realistic surgery without human help
For the first time ever, a robot has performed a realistic surgery without human help. According to a new study, the AI-powered robot precisely executed a complex part of a gallbladder removal after being trained by videos of human surgeons. Led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the study found that the robot's performance was 'comparable to an expert surgeon' during trials on pig gallbladders. 'This advancement moves us from robots that can execute specific surgical tasks to robots that truly understand surgical procedures,' corresponding author and medical roboticist Axel Krieger said in a news release. 'This is a critical distinction that brings us significantly closer to clinically viable autonomous surgical systems that can work in the messy, unpredictable reality of actual patient care.' While Krieger and colleagues have trained robots to perform specific surgical tasks in the past, this was the first time that one was able to operate autonomously without a predetermined plan. Rather than teaching a robot to follow a mapped route, Krieger likened their latest breakthrough to 'teaching a robot to navigate any road, in any condition, responding intelligently to whatever it encounters.' The robot was also able to learn from and respond to voice commands from the team, much like a novice surgeon working under supervision of a mentor. After being trained, the robot operated autonomously on eight pig gallbladders, performing perfectly without any human intervention. 'To me it really shows that it's possible to perform complex surgical procedures autonomously,' Krieger, an associate professor in mechanical engineering, said. 'This is a proof of concept that it's possible and this imitation learning framework can automate such complex procedure with such a high degree of robustness.' 'Comparable to an expert surgeon' Although the robot took longer than a human surgeon, researchers say it had a 100 per cent success rate in all eight surgeries and was able to adapt to different pig gallbladders and unexpected scenarios, like when its starting position was moved. On average it took the robot five minutes and 17 seconds to complete the required tasks, compared to about four minutes for a human surgeon. 'In these experiments, we observe the consistent ability of our framework to generalize to unseen anatomies and self-correct its own behaviour,' an advance copy of the study explained. 'Preliminary comparison shows that, while our framework requires more operation time, the performance is comparable to an expert surgeon.' Using the typically human-operated robotic da Vinci Surgical System, the robot was built and trained with the same machine learning architecture that drives ChatGPT. 'Our work shows that AI models can be made reliable enough for surgical autonomy – something that once felt far-off but is now demonstrably viable,' lead author and former Johns Hopkins postdoctoral researcher Ji Woong 'Brian' Kim said in the news release. Warning: some readers may find the following image disturbing. Surgical Robot The surgical robot performing a gallbladder surgery. (Juo-Tung Chen/Johns Hopkins University) The study was published Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics. The gallbladder removal procedure required a string of 17 tasks that included identifying certain ducts and arteries in order to place clips and sever parts with scissors. The researchers would now like to train and test the surgical robot for other types of procedures and to eventually perform a completely autonomous surgery. 'Autonomous surgery holds immense potential for improving surgical outcomes, reducing costs, and expanding access to high-quality healthcare,' the study said. '[Our] approach also supports real-time language interventions from expert surgeons, making it practical for potential integration into hospitals as a tool for surgeons to reduce fatigue on simple procedures or for areas with no access to trained surgeons.'
