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Telerobotic Surgery A Reality

Posted by timothy on from the old-hat-new-brain dept.

Moby Cock writes "Aquanauts on board NASA's NEEMO7 have successfully completed simulated gall bladder surgery with 'coaching' from a surgeon half a continent away. The story is covered at space.com and the Globe and Mail. The project is aimed at studying the feasiblity of dealing with medical emergencies in space on the ISS. "We have learned that it is possible, and quite safe, to telementor an untrained person through a complex medical task," said Dr. Mehran Anvari, one of the principal investigators from the McMaster University Centre for Minimal Access Surgery."

2 of 22 comments (clear)

  1. Malpractice? by Spykk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wonder who is responsible for a botched surgery, the untrained proxy or the doctor on the other end of the line?

  2. "reality" != "simulation" by museumpeace · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the feat reported is certainly valid news and the techniques of remote control surgery will have application beyond medical emergencies in space
    BUT PLEASE: saying something is a reality when it has only been simulated is misleading! How much would you pay the doctor who says "I have simulated removal of your tumor"? Reality is billable.

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    SLASHDOT: news for people who can't concentrate on work or have no life at all and got tired of yelling back at the TV.