The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) in London will be the first service hospital in the UK to install a robotic microscope for brain and spine surgeries.
The technology, developed by US medical device manufacturer Olympus, transmits HD images of the patient’s anatomy onto a monitor in the operating room for the entire surgical team to see.
During spine and neurosurgery procedures, Orbeye provides clear images of the structural and surrounding tissue enabling tumours and blood vessels to be seen in real-time.
NHNN called it a hybrid between a conventional operating microscope and endoscope and said it could mark the beginning of a digital future in neurosurgery.
Hani Marcus, consultant neurosurgeon at NHNN, said: “This state-of-the-art technology will ensure everyone in the operating theatre can see exactly the same thing the surgeon does.
“We are confident this will improve communication between the members of the surgical team during operations and allow for enhanced learning and teaching.
“The Orbeye will also be invaluable during the current Covid-19 pandemic because it can be used by surgeons donning full personal protective equipment.
“This will allow patients to continue to benefit from less invasive surgery, which will mean less pain, a shorter stay in hospital, and more rapid recovery from surgery.”
Furthermore, NHNN said it will continue to collaborate with Olympus over the next five years to carefully evaluate and improve the exoscope and integrate the technology with other ongoing research projects at NHNN, including on AI and robotics.
