Kobe Grand Hospital announced on the 14th that Japan’s first surgical assistant robot "hinotori" developed by medical robot manufacturer "Medicaroid" successfully performed the first operation. Masato Fujisawa, head of the Graduate School of Medicine at Kobe University, who participated in the development and served as the chief surgeon, said at a press conference: "There was no major trouble, and I got a perfect score. I am very impressed."
According to the hospital, the patient of the operation was a 70-year-old man with prostate cancer. This operation is a complete removal of the prostate, which takes about 4 and a half hours. The patient is said to be in good condition after the operation.
"Hinotori" surgical assistant robot
The report pointed out that the "hinotori" robot is characterized by four micro-manipulator arms equipped with an endoscope and surgical instruments. The doctor can confirm the stereo image of the patient's body through the endoscope and perform operations.
In this operation, Fujisawa cut and sutured the organs through the small holes cut on the patient. He commented: "The robot's hands are rarely shaken, and it has completed delicate work."
Kyodo News Agency of Japan pointed out that the hospital plans to set up experimental surgical facilities using 5G communication systems next spring, and initiate practical research on the use of "hinotori" for remote surgery. Masato Fujisawa also said: "I hope that we will not rush to popularize and put safety in the first place to accumulate cases." At present, the mainstream manufacturer of surgical assistant robots is "Da Vinci" in the United States.