Key Highlights:
- Levita Magnetics’ MARS® platform used in first gallbladder removal surgery featuring an autonomous AI-guided camera.
- Surgery performed without a camera assistant; AI tracks surgeon’s tools and adjusts view in real time.
- Marks a crucial step toward surgical automation, with potential to improve precision, workflow efficiency and reduce OR staffing needs.
Autonomous Camera Enables Solo Laparoscopic Surgery
At Clínica Las Condes in Santiago, Chile, a gallbladder removal surgery was carried out by a surgeon without a human camera operator. Instead, an autonomous, AI-powered camera tracked the surgeon’s tools and continuously adjusted its angle, maintaining optimal visualization throughout the procedure. Ricardo Funke, chief of surgery, reported that the camera “was following me wherever I moved my hands … the whole process was excellent.”
MARS Platform: Technology & Capabilities
The operation leveraged Levita’s Magnetic-Assisted Robotic Surgery (MARS) system combined with magnetic surgical instruments and software intelligence. The autonomous camera system, using a high-definition 4K camera, automatically tracked and followed instruments, reducing dependency on a camera assistant and offering a more stable visual field.
Implications for Surgical Workflow & Safety
This advance promises multiple benefits: enhancing precision in minimally invasive surgeries, reducing delays and mistakes caused by human camera movement, potentially lowering staffing needs in operating rooms, and possibly improving patient outcomes by maintaining consistent visual focus.
Towards Surgical Automation: What’s Next?
While this case is significant, it’s one of the first in real‐patient applications. Developers and regulators will need more data on safety, reliability, variability in anatomy, and adverse situations (e.g. unexpected bleeding or instrument occlusion). A broader adoption would require regulatory approvals, clinical trials, and integration into surgical training.
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