World First Remote Heart Operation Carried out in UK Using Robotic Arm

ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2010) — A pioneering world first robotics system operation was conducted at Glenfield Hospital Leicester thanks to expertise at the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester.

Dr André Ng, Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester and Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester, is the first person in the world to carry out the operation remotely on patients using this system.

He used the Catheter Robotics Remote Catheter Manipulation System for the first time in a heart rhythm treatment procedure.

The system is novel because it allows a doctor to carry out a common heart treatment procedure remotely using a robotic arm.

These procedures involve inserting thin wires, called catheters, into blood vessels at the top of the groin and advanced into the heart chambers. Electrodes on the catheters record and stimulate different regions of the heart to help the doctor identify the cause of the heart rhythm problem which usually involves an abnormality in the electrical wiring system of the heart. Once this area is identified, one of the catheters will be placed at the location to ablate or "burn" the tissue to cure the problem. Catheter ablation has been developed and used over the past 2 decades effectively in many patients suffering palpitations due to heart rhythm disturbances.

Continued at link
Source

This is really cool. I suppose it's not long before - the robots - take over....

reply to post by Crossfate


Could someone please explain to me how this helps humanity?

Just curious.



Peace