Iran Pioneers Breakthrough in Robotic Surgery, Outshining US
15:18 GMT 20.06.2023 (Updated: 15:23 GMT 20.06.2023)
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Iran's Sina robot surgeon is the first of its kind in the Middle East, capable of performing operations on the chest and abdominal area. Surgeons can operate the robot remotely, leading to a remarkable tenfold enhancement in surgical precision.
In an interview with Sputnik, Alireza Mirbagheri, CEO at Sina Robotics and Medical Innovations Co., the Iranian company that independently developed the Sina surgical robot, explained the uniqueness of this robotic surgical model and why it has the potential to completely replace America's famous Da Vinci robot.
"The development of the robotics-assisted surgical system took about 20 years at the Research Center for Biomedical Technologies and Robotics at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The team of specialists who worked on the development of this unique robot consisted of young talents whose average age did not exceed 25 years. Many of them were engaged by the Iranian government and returned from abroad to contribute to the creation of the robot in their homeland," said Mirbagheri.
According to the CEO of Sina Robotics, the system consists of two primary parts: the console, which is operated by the surgeon, and the device system, which operates on the operating table with the patient. In this system, the surgeon effectively guides the operation using the robotic system. The handles on the surgical console capture the surgeon's hand movements, and simultaneously, the surgical robot on the patient's bed replicates these movements on the patient's body.
"The surgeon sees an image of the patient's internal organs on the console screen through the robot, and the surgeon guides the operation in real time," he said.
The devices, which are attached to the patient's bed, are equipped with special flexible instruments that mimic all the movements of the surgeon's hands. Instead of making a large incision for the surgeon's hands, each instrument enters the patient's body, making only a 5mm incision while mimicking the movements of the surgeon's hands. As a result, the patient's trauma and risk of major bleeding are reduced, the recovery time after such surgery is shortened, and ultimately, hospital costs are reduced.
"And most importantly, the surgeon no longer has to perform the operation while standing. The surgical robot also helps eliminate fatigue during long operations and eliminates the risk of the surgeon's hands shaking or accidentally touching the patient's body," Alireza Mirbagheri emphasized.
The CEO of Sina Robotics noted that five practical prototypes of the Sina robot have been produced, all of which have undergone clinical and testing trials. According to him, the Iranian model of the surgical robot has several advantages over the famous American Da Vinci robot.
8 September 2022, 16:12 GMT
"To date, five prototypes of this robot have been manufactured, two of which have been purchased and installed at Sina University Hospital and Shariati Hospital for the practical application of new robotic surgical methods," he said.
These machines are also used in training courses for students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. In addition, two Sina robots have been exported to Indonesia at the request of medical professionals who previously used the expensive American model of the Da Vinci surgical robot. In addition, the company's specialists are training 111 Indonesian doctors in the use of the Sina surgical robot.
According to Mirbagheri, purchasing surgical robots from the United States is very expensive for developing countries. The use of the Sina surgical robot is 66% cheaper than the famous American Da Vinci surgical robot, which costs about €2.5 million. Remote surgery (when the surgeon is not in the operating room) is only available with the Da Vinci robot in its country of production, the United States. This option is not available in other countries. The Sina surgical robot offers remote surgery to all of its customers.
"Another important difference between the Sina surgical system and the da Vinci surgical system is in the operations performed. Our surgical robot can move and rotate the patient during surgery if necessary, while the da Vinci lacks this function. As a result, the Sina surgical robot provides specialists with more comprehensive capabilities to perform multiple operations simultaneously," Mirbagheri noted.
In addition, this robot has already gained recognition among medical professionals worldwide. In cooperation with the Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics in St. Petersburg, the company plans to manufacture this surgical robot model to meet the needs of Russian doctors and introduce it to the markets of CIS countries.
1 March 2023, 16:45 GMT
According to Mirbagheri, the Sina surgical robot has great prospects for entering international markets and is already in demand.
"An agreement on joint production of this system has already been signed with the Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics," he said.
Under the agreement, the Sina surgical robot will be manufactured in Iran in a semi-assembled state and exported to Russia for semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly in St. Petersburg. For this purpose, an Iranian-Russian company will be established on the territory of the Russian Federation, which will be responsible for obtaining the necessary permits, licenses, marketing, sales and after-sales service of this system in Russia and CIS countries. Launching this process in Russia currently depends on private sector investments, and the production process will start with joint investments.
Regarding European markets, Mirbagheri noted that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), and Sina has been registered as this university's industrial partner. Students from this higher educational institution will apply, be accepted as interns, and conduct master's or doctoral theses based on the Sina robot.
"In addition, China has a very large market, and in line with China's policy of countering and preventing the entry of American products, the country has also shown great interest in manufacturing this model of robot for its own needs. We are currently evaluating many applications from Chinese companies," he concluded.
