Chinese surgery robot outperforms humans, cuts brain imaging time by 29%

Chinese researchers have developed a surgical robot that can perform complex brain imaging nearly 30 per cent faster than traditional manual methods, according to a study published earlier this year.

The feat marks a milestone for the world’s first approved cerebrovascular intervention system.

In a head-to-head at the prestigious Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), a young surgeon using the robotic system shaved nine minutes off the time required for a standard manual procedure.

“Preliminary clinical application shows that the YDHB-NS01 robot-assisted system is feasible for diagnostic cerebral angiography and shows early indications of safety and comparable procedural performance to conventional manual methods,” lead author Dr Zhao Yuanli wrote in the study published in the Chinese Neurosurgical Journal on January 30.

Cerebral vascular imaging is a must for the treatment of many brain diseases, but it is a difficult procedure for both patient and doctor. In conventional methods, the neurologist must manually thread a thin guide-wire from a patient’s thigh up to the brain’s blood vessels under X-ray fluoroscopy.
Manual surgery has inherent limitations: hands inevitably tremble, and the heavy lead gowns and collars worn by doctors for radiation protection increase physical strain. Long-term radiation exposure also poses health risks to doctors.