On human for humans - a testbedd for the development of innovative surgical methods
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Region Skåne - Skånes universitetssjukhus, Vävnadsbanken |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 4 249 127 |
| Project duration | November 2018 - November 2022 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Test beds for society´s challenges |
Important results from the project
Autonomous surgical robotics can enhance the human surgeon´s abilities in terms of interpretation of the anatomy, decisions and execution of surgically difficult steps. The goal is to increase patient safety and the final surgical result. To achieve this objective, there must be an acceptance and trust among patients, healthcare providers and society at large. For companies to invest, a path is needed for their developed systems to reach clinical use. Tests based on plastic, animal or virtual models will be required, but none of these can fully replace the human body.
Expected long term effects
Sweden today has one of the world´s first testbeds designed for the development of future surgery where the ground truth condition is high thanks to the use donated human bodies. Conditions for the highest possible reliability of the test results have been created. The physical core consists of a fully equipped operating room with an associated glass-enclosed control room, space for robot service, work desks, a meeting room, and a staff kitchen. Collaborations are being established up with universities, healthcare providers and companies, locally and globally.
Approach and implementation
The project has been conducted by Skånes University Hospital (SUS). We have benefited from detailed knowledge of needs, logistic conditions, and specific demands. Suitable location and the advantages of shared/integrated use with the Tissue Bank could be identified. We set out and achieved this goal, and the results is highly satisfactory. SUS is a sufficiently large actor able to carry out a project of this magnitude and it can also to ensure continued good management and maintenance. SUS is also an important stake holder of new surgical technology. The project was successful.