Sovato said its platform was successfully used in a series of remote robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) procedures in a preclinical technology demonstration. As part of the preclinical tests, seven surgeons across four specialties performed Nephrectomy, Hysterectomy, Colectomy, and Cholecystectomy procedures, validating the broad application of remote surgery.
The preclinical test results and surgeon experience were presented at the Society of Robotic Surgery 2024 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The surgeons completed a user experience assessment based on the NASA Task Load Index, a self-evaluation tool used to measure a subjective mental workload assessment of a participant while performing a task. The results revealed a high degree of confidence while performing the remote procedures. Surgeons also reported the ability to communicate effectively with the bedside assistant and having comparable situational awareness of the remote operating room compared to in-person surgery.
The Sovato Platform is a solution for enabling and orchestrating remote robotic-assisted surgeries and procedures. Sovato brings together the remote surgery ecosystem, including healthcare providers and any RAS system, to deliver the curated fiberoptic network, clinical workflows, data, and supporting infrastructure required to enable safe, scalable, and profitable remote surgery and procedure programs. For healthcare organizations, Sovato’s platform supports the complete remote surgery program spanning the entire surgical journey for surgeons, care teams, and patients.
In the preclinical tests, the Sovato Platform was paired with a modified version of Virtual Incision's MIRA Surgical System to enable surgeons from multiple disciplines to perform the procedures across a 500-mile distance. The Sovato Platform enabled low latency, curated, fiberoptic connectivity from the surgeon console to control MIRA’s arms and integrated an articulating camera at the remote location for full situational awareness. Surgeons maintained immersive verbal and visual communication with the remote care team using the Sovato Platform.
Remote surgery will help address the needs of more than half the world’s population that does not currently have access to high-quality surgical care, including 83 million Americans who must travel for routine procedures.1 Robotic-assisted technologies have the potential to enable minimally invasive surgery for these patients by allowing a surgeon to operate from a distant location. Miniaturized RAS systems, like MIRA, can further impact the process through simplified transportation and storage, making remote surgery a more feasible option for more hospitals.
