In five years, half of all surgeries will be assisted by robots: LTTS

• Use of robots in surgeries is expected to increase by up to five times – from 10% currently to 50% by 2025, says LTTS.
• However, one of the major challenges in this area is training surgeons in the use of robotics which can be alleviated using cost-effective training equipment.
• The symposium showcased India’s first indigenously built blood cell counter, apart from other affordable training solutions.

The Indian healthcare industry is gearing up to take a major technology leap when it comes to robot-assisted surgeries. Thanks to cost-effective training kits for surgeons and advancements in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), half of all surgeries in India could be assisted by robots by 2025, says L&T Technology Services at a symposium on advancements in the field of robot-assisted surgeries.

“Innovative low-cost training systems such as the Endo-Training kit and new VR/AR based training simulators such as RoSS promises to address the needs of the fast-growing clinical robotic sector,” said Professor Kesh Kesavadas, the director of healthcare engineering systems at the University of Illinois.

Currently, only 10% of surgeries in India are robot assisted. “Robotics is a state-of-the-art technology that offers superior vision, improved flexibility and great accuracy surpassing humans while performing complex tasks,” said LTTS in a press release.

Experts believe that robotic assistance can help in surgery, rehabilitation efforts and therapeutic practices. Prof Kesavadas said that training surgeons in the use of robotics is a major challenge in India. However, using cost-effective training equipment can alleviate this problem in this area, he added.

“AI methods are becoming very robust”

“AI methods are becoming very very robust and very good at predicting things. So, if you design your AI architecture carefully, you can actually come up with results that are much better than the chief buyer typical average human,” said Rohit Bhargava, director, Cancer Centre of Illinois.

Some of the products showcased at the symposium include a robotic endo training kit that is compact and makes advanced surgical training affordable. A 3-part cell counter that is India’s first indigenously built blood cell counter was also showcased; a chemistry analyzer which is a fully automated clinical chemistry analyzer, with intelligent multitasking software. A chest X-Ray which is an AI-based image analysis and pneumonia detection solution to help radiologists identify the symptoms and detect the disease in its initial phase

The symposium also included a demonstration of an AI-based solution that helps in detection of pneumonia in initial phases.

See also:

The most important players, tech, and trends propelling the digital transformation of the $3.7 trillion healthcare industry

How digital treatments could be a $9 billion opportunity by 2025