Long Distance Surgical Training with RP-7 Robot

InTouch Technologies, Inc. (d.b.a. InTouch Health®), a Santa Barbara, CA company, is reporting that its RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System was used to conduct the first ever surgical procedure “where the operating surgeons were trained by a mentoring surgeon located more than 5,400 miles away.” The laparoscopic gastric sleeve procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity was performed by Drs. Sergio Cantarelli and Gabriel Egidi located in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. They were trained and guided with the help of RP-7 by Dr. Alex Gandsas, Division Head of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Here’s how the company explains its technology:

The RP-7 Remote Presence Robot, produced by InTouch Health in Santa Barbara, California, enables a medical specialist to mentor a physician or surgeon at a remote site using a high speed Internet connection. The 5-foot, 5-inch robot, displays the doctor’s face on a 15-inch screen and is guided by a joystick from a computerized ControlStation, emulating an on-site experience. With two-way cameras, microphones and wireless technology, the robot provides high quality, real-time audio and video with complete mobility around the operating room.
Remote Presence telementoring can be used by experts in the field to cost-effectively train physicians and medical teams on any clinical procedure and best practices…
Developed by InTouch Health’s world-class R&D team, the Virtually There technology begins with the custom integration of the most technologically advanced digital cameras, audio microphones, amplification circuitry and custom software to create an unparalleled two-way, audio-video communications capability. When combined with the RP-7 Robot’s pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) head and Holonomic mobility base, and modern telecommunications technology (Internet and 802.11 wireless), a physician can now project his/herself to another location to move around, see, hear, talk and interact as though they were actually there.
The RP-7 System’s Virtually There real-time video allows for detailed viewing, examination and digital image capture of human anatomy, bedside monitors and equipment, EKG strips, and light box images. The Robot’s rapid response cameras and PTZ head motions provide for quick and effective zoom and auto focus capabilities. The Robot’s panoramic visualization system, Holonomic drive system, SenseArray System 360, and easy-to-use control interface affords physicians, patients and hospital staff a safe and effective interactive experience.
The RP-7 Robot uses a patented Holonomic drive system to achieve omnidirectional or human-like mobility. Under the direct control of a physician, the Robot can be safely maneuvered throughout the hospital environment. Rolling on three spherical balls rather than wheels, the Robot can be easily steered down a hallway, alongside a patient bed or nursing station, and around hospital equipment.

Product page: RP-7 …
Press release: Doctors perform complex surgery following training with remote expert more than 5,400 miles away …
Flashbacks: RP-6: Now in ICU ; ‘Patient rounds with robodoc’