Medicaroid Hinotori Surgical Robot System Successfully Performs Cross-Border Telesurgery

On October 11th, 2023, Medicaroid Corporation of Japan announced that its Hinotori Surgical Robotic System, which it has developed, successfully completed a telesurgical demonstration between Singapore and Japan, spanning a distance of 5,000 kilometers. This is the first tele-surgery demonstration in Japan between Singapore and Japan.

Cross-border telesurgery

Telesurgery is a new type of medical technology that allows for remote guidance and support of surgeries by competent physicians between different healthcare facilities through information and communication technologies. This technology allows experienced surgeons to remotely operate a single robotic-assisted surgical system to provide surgical support to patients. The availability of this technology will help to eliminate healthcare disparities on a global scale, making advanced surgical care available to patients around the world. In addition, remote surgical teaching will improve the quality of learning for physicians around the world. 

The telesurgery demonstration was implemented to validate the feasibility of telesurgery and the provision of telesurgical support at a distance of approximately 5,000 kilometers by using a surgeon's console installed at the National University of Singapore and the Hinotori surgical robotic system installed at the Medicaroid Intelligent Laboratory at the University of Healthcare and Hygiene in Fujita, Japan. 

The telesurgery demonstration was held from Oct. 9 to 12. On Oct. 9, Hinotori performed surgery in Singapore as the first robotic telesurgery in Japan, which was also completed using Hinotori to manipulate organ models.

Hinotori Surgical Robot System

The Hinotori Surgical Robot System, developed by Medicaroid, is Japan's first surgical assist robot system. The system was licensed for manufacture and sale in Japan in August 2020, and is primarily used to assist physicians in performing surgeries for urology, prostate, kidney cancer, and bladder cancer.In March 2021, the Hinotori Surgical Robot System successfully performed its first surgery in Japan. 

The Hinotori Surgical Robot System consists of three parts: 1) the actual operating unit that performs the surgery, with a robotic arm design that does not take up much space, which improves the traditional da Vinci Robotic Surgical System's robotic arm that is too long and tends to interfere with each other during surgery; 2) the surgeon's manipulator, which is operated by the surgeon's hands and feet, and utilizes an ergonomic design that allows for adjustments to be made at any time in conjunction with the surgeon's The ergonomic design allows the surgeon to adjust his or her posture at any time, creating a stress-free surgical assistance environment. 3) The visual unit that integrates video and sound control, while displaying 3D high-definition images on the screen, assists the surgeon in communicating with his or her assistants and surgeons.

Features of the Hinotori Surgical Robot System include: open operating space in a sterile area, human-like complex movements, docking-free design, high-definition images, and ergonomic design for various surgical positions. Included:

1. High precision: the Hinotori Surgical Robot System allows for precise positioning and manipulation, reducing the risk of errors and complications during surgery.

2. High efficiency: This system can automatically perform some complex surgical steps, greatly improving the efficiency of surgery.

3. Safety: Hinotori Surgical Robotics System can work under the doctor's supervision to ensure the safety of surgery.

4. Flexibility: The system can be adapted to the needs of the surgery, adapting to a variety of different surgical needs.

5. Reduced burden on doctors: By using the Hinotori Surgical Robotic System, doctors can reduce fatigue during surgery and improve work efficiency.

The Hinotori Surgical Robot System has been widely used in hospitals in Japan and a number of other countries and has proven to be an effective surgical tool.

Medicaroid Corporation

Medicaroid Corporation was founded in 2013 as a joint venture between Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a leader in industrial robotics, and Xisenmechem, a manufacturer of testing and diagnostic technologies with an extensive network in the medical field. Combining Kawasaki Heavy Industries' industrial robotics technology and HysonMedicom's medical knowledge, the company is committed to developing and promoting telesurgical technology with the aim of making advanced surgical treatments available to patients around the world.