Surgeons at Erasmus MC Successfully Remove Lung Tumor with the Assistance of AR During Robot-assisted Surgery

Revolutionary MedicalVR Technology Enhances Surgical Precision and Safety

A groundbreaking milestone for MedicalVR in the real-time surgical navigation. Surgeons at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam the Netherlands, have achieved a world-first by successfully removing a lung tumor with the assistance of augmented reality (AR) during a robot-assisted surgery. A deformable 3D model of the tumor, blood vessels, and airways are projected onto the lung anatomy during surgery allowing the surgeons to comprehend which anatomical structures are present below the surface of the lung lobes. This remarkable achievement was a great success due to the collaboration with Orsi Academy, NVIDIA and Erasmus MC.

AR-Assisted Lung Cancer Surgery

MedicalVR has developed an advanced surgical planning platform, efficiently providing patient-specific deformable 3D models for both surgical planning and intra-operative guidance. Surgeons traditionally review 2D CT scans to prepare for complex surgical cases, mentally constructing a 3D representation from these flat 2D scans. Given the complexity of the human anatomy and the unique structures of each patient, translating from 2D to 3D can be a daunting task. This, combined with the challenges of robotassisted surgery where tactile feedback and visual access is constrained, could lead to more complications. MedicalVR’s platform bridges the gap by leveraging AI models and 3D imaging technology. This technology augments the surgeon’s intra-operative anatomical knowledge and facilitates real-time overlay of the 3D anatomy onto the actual surgical field. This breakthrough translates into better surgical decision-making, expediting procedures, reducing complications, and accelerating training for future generations of surgeons.

MedicalVR’s Role in Advancing Surgical Innovation

This accomplishment builds on a four year strategic collaboration between cardio thoracic surgeons at Erasmus MC and MedicalVR. MedicalVR continuously receives first-hand feedback from the most experienced surgeons in the Netherlands allowing us to tailor the technology to the exact needs of the surgeons. Fitting the technology in the workflow of the surgeons is a key step in making these 3D technologies part of every complex surgery performed. Finally, MedicalVR believes this is a prime example of how academia, simulation specialists (Orsi Academy), hardware (NVIDIA) AI, and deformable 3D models (MedicalVR) come together in driving innovative solutions and allowing surgeons to provide better care for their patients.

Source: MedicalVR