World's First 5G-Powered Ultra-Long-Distance Robotic Surgery Performed by Qingdao Doctors on Patient in Guizhou Using Miaoshou Robot and Yichao Medical's Energy Platform

Original Title: “World’s First! Yichao Medical and Miaoshou Robot Facilitate Completion of 5G Remote Surgery”

On September 7, 2019, the first 5G remote robotic laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed by the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in collaboration with Xixiu District People's Hospital of Anshun City. This procedure, involving signal transmission over an optical fiber distance exceeding 3,000 kilometers, was a world-first.

Notably, China’s independently developed three-arm robotic system “Miaoshou” and Yichao Medical’s ultrasonic energy surgical system both made their debut in this surgery, demonstrating excellent clinical performance and highlighting the high quality of domestically produced high-end medical devices.

>>>>100 minutes, the surgery was successfully completed

Anshun and Qingdao are separated by a road distance of over 2,000 kilometers, while the optical fiber cable route spans more than 3,000 kilometers. Therefore, this procedure is recognized as the most geographically extensive telesurgery currently performed worldwide. Furthermore, during the operation, the surgeon directly controlled the robotic system in real time, rather than merely providing remote guidance as in previous practices, thereby maximizing the exploration of the current capacity of China’s internet infrastructure to support telesurgery.

According to Zhang Jian, Director of the Department of General Surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Deputy President (on temporary assignment) of Xixiu District People’s Hospital, the entire surgical procedure proceeded smoothly and without incident, indicating that the technique is now highly mature.

It is reported that on June 16, more than two months ago, Professor Niu Haitao led his team in performing the first similar surgery in East China. However, the control cable distance for that previous surgery was only 300 kilometers, merely one-tenth of the distance covered in this current procedure.

In this surgical case, the master console was located in Qingdao, while the slave console was set up in Anshun. The lead surgeon was a domestically produced three-arm robotic system named “Miaoshou.” Under the real-time control from the master console at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, “Miaoshou” performed surgery on a live animal, integrating a domestically developed ultrasonic energy surgical system.

Prior to the start of the surgery, on-site inspections confirmed that the robotic system’s cable interfaces were functioning normally, all instruments and equipment were operational, and the ultrasonic energy system was running stably. The procedure officially commenced at 9:00 AM. Through remote real-time control, the robot precisely and successfully resected the kidney, gallbladder, and bladder of a pig weighing approximately 25 kg within 100 minutes. The domestically produced Miaoshou surgical robot and the Yichao ultrasonic energy surgical system passed the test, completing the surgery successfully.

>>>>Debuting for the First Time, Domestic Equipment Delivers Impressive Performance

It is reported that both the surgery and the live broadcast were conducted via 5G network transmission. With its significant advantages of ultra-high bandwidth and ultra-low latency, 5G offers data transmission speeds dozens of times faster than 4G networks. This ensures virtually imperceptible latency in surgical operations, smooth video data transmission, and clear, stutter-free audio and visuals, making it a reality for the surgeon’s scalpel to effectively extend thousands of miles away in an instant.

“World’s First Ultra-Remote Complex Surgery in a 5G Network Environment Successfully Completed!” With the suturing of the incision, the surgery was declared a success.

It is reported that this event marked the impressive debut of the “Miaoshou” three-arm robotic system. Featuring seven degrees of freedom and enabling 540° end-effector rotation for multi-directional manipulation, its functionality rivals that of the da Vinci Surgical System, a product previously monopolized by US companies. Meanwhile, Shanghai Yichao Medical’s domestically produced ultrasonic energy surgical product, the Ultrasonic Surgical System, also made its inaugural appearance during this procedure. Its excellent clinical performance played a crucial role in ensuring the successful execution of the surgery.

About Yichao Medical

Shanghai Yichao Medical Device Co., Ltd. is dedicated to providing globally innovative and domestically leading solutions and products for minimally invasive surgery. Along the three major human anatomical pathways in minimally invasive surgery—transabdominal, transcutaneous, and natural orifice—Yichao Medical has comprehensively developed and strategically deployed three major product portfolios featuring global innovation: the “Ultrasonic Energy Surgical System,” “3D Ultrasound + Consumables,” and “Ultrasound Endoscope + Consumables.”

In the field of laparoscopic minimally invasive surgical access, Yichao Medical offers a comprehensive portfolio of minimally invasive surgical instruments, with its full-series ultrasonic energy systems as the flagship products. Backed by China’s only internationally leading acoustics team, all core components are independently designed and developed. In addition to its ultrasonic energy surgical systems, Yichao’s ultra-high-end integrated dual-mode electrosurgical unit is about to enter the testing phase.

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