Medical Design Briefs - January 2023 - 9

continuum provides many patient and
surgeon benefits that have not been
available in the past.
Technologies Driving the new era of
Performance-Guided Surgery
A unique element of performance-guided
surgery is the implementation
of real-time augmented intelligence
at the speed of thought. Through
its Senhance Surgical System, Asensus
Surgical offers the first-of-its-kind digital
laparoscopic platform that leverages
augmented intelligence to provide unmatched
performance through machine
learning. Augmented intelligence
enables a robotic-assisted platform to
perceive (computer vision), learn (machine
learning), and assist (clinical intelligence)
in surgery. This provides
true digital surgical assistance for the
first time. Powered by the Intelligent
Surgical Unit™(ISU), this new era of
digitization between the surgeon and
patient is fostering industry growth that
will make it more efficient, produce safer
surgical outcomes, and may even improve
the outlook of what's possible in
futuristic concepts like telesurgery.
Based on algorithms that can take
into account historical and future performance,
this technology is up-leveling
surgical performance in many aspects.
Through performance-guided surgery,
surgeons can leverage robotics to perform
complex procedures with geometrical
precision and, more impressively,
in anatomical areas that are difficult to
reach by traditional instrumentation.
In terms of improving anatomical
measurement, to date, surgeons have
operated without simple, reliable, and
accurate methods of obtaining measurements
during minimally invasive
surgery. Like a builder without a measuring
tape, surgeons have had to use
experience and best estimates to perform
highly precise procedures. The
only alternative had been to spend valuable
OR time introducing difficult-to-use
sterile accessories to achieve
accurate measurements.
By focusing on AI's machine vision
capabilities and transformative power
around how surgeries will be performed,
this technological pairing is
helping surgeons overcome some of
these day-to-day consistency challenges
while also improving their physical
constraints through incredible ergoMedical
Design Briefs, January 2023
Robotics technology also allows surgeons to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision,
flexibility, and control than previously possible with conventional techniques. (Credit: Asensus Surgical)
nomic design benefits made possible
by this technology.
Enhancing Surgeon Experiences in
the OR
In addition to the performance challenges
that technological advancements
are helping surgeons tackle,
there are many physical benefits as
well. Today, the risk of ergonomic injury
is impacting surgeons across many
specialties due to the physical toll surgical
performance puts on their bodies.
In fact, one in five surgeons in the
United States plans to retire early due
to the physical strain their bodies endure
when conducting certain medical
operations.1
For minimally invasive laparoscopic
surgery - procedures performed
through tiny incisions - surgeons have
said it's " literally backbreaking work. "
This includes muscular or back pain -
which can result in long-term musculoskeletal
injuries. This is because this
type of surgery can be difficult to conduct
and physically grueling for surgeons,
as they often stand for extended
periods in uncomfortable or difficult
po sitions to perform procedures including
hysterectomy, hernia repair,
and colectomy.
Historically, technological innovation
in the OR has been focused on surgical
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tools to improve the action portion of
the process. However, little advancement
has been made to improve the
physical comfort of the surgeons operating
on the patients - until now. By
leveraging robotic technology, powered
by artificial intelligence and machine
learning, operating rooms are being
transformed to deliver an innovative
and enhanced surgeon experience.
The Asensus Senhance Surgical System,
for example, is being used to lessen
the physical toll on surgeons. For instance,
robotic arms provide the power
of pause, allowing the instruments to
remain stable and stationary as the surgeon
changes position or eye-tracking
camera control frees the hands of surgical
staff for other in-room activities.
This technology also allows surgeons
to perform many types of complex procedures
with more precision, flexibility,
and control than previously possible
with conventional techniques. This
also gives the surgeon unprecedented
control in a minimally invasive environment,
resulting in smaller incisions,
shorter recovery time, potentially
less pain, and improved outcomes.
This elevated level of control can help
surgeons become more instinctive,
more responsive, and more focused.
This creates an environment conducive
to performing a greater variety of
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Medical Design Briefs - January 2023

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