Doctor in Zurich performs remote endoscopy on pig in Hong Kong
The procedure involved a PhD student who was in Zurich and operated the endoscope in Hong Kong remotely using a PlayStation console.
In a recent achievement in medical technology, a doctor successfully performed an endoscopy on pig in Hong Kong while operating from a lab 9,300 kilometers away in Zurich, Switzerland. This is part of a collaborative project between researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and ETH Zurich, exploring the future of remote medical procedures using robotics and fast, stable internet connections.
The procedure involved a PhD student Alexandre Mesot, who was in Zurich and operated the endoscope in Hong Kong remotely using a PlayStation console. He could see the images from the endoscope on his screen with only a 300-millisecond delay, showing the efficiency and speed of the connection.
The endoscope allowed Mesot to examine the stomach of the unconscious pig as if he were in the same room. Before the procedure, the pig was anesthetized, and the endoscope was carefully inserted into its stomach through the mouth. However, this was no ordinary endoscope. It was a specially designed device developed by the ETH Zurich team that uses magnetic fields for navigation.
According to Mesot, the endoscope’s magnetic head enables it to bend in any direction, making it much more flexible, smaller, and easier to control compared to traditional endoscopes. While controlling the device from Zurich, Mesot was able to make the endoscope’s head bend backward by 180 degrees to inspect the entrance to the pig’s stomach. He also successfully collected a tissue sample from the stomach wall using a small clip attached to the device.
From Zurich to the Stomach: Remote Endoscopy on Pig Highlights Innovation
One of the innovations of this new endoscope design is its size. It is small enough to be inserted through a patient’s nose rather than the mouth, offering a less invasive and more comfortable option for patients, especially when the technology is eventually used on humans.
Professor Bradley Nelson, from the Multiscale Robotics Laboratory at ETH Zurich, highlighted the immense potential of this technology. The team’s next goal is to perform a remote endoscopy on a human patient. Nelson sees this technology as a breakthrough for minimally invasive procedures, especially in the digestive system, such as cancer screening and other gastrointestinal diagnostics.
This procedure is a major step in the future of remote surgery, showing how advanced robotics and internet technology can open up new possibilities for healthcare. Reports confirm that the pig survived the procedure without any complications, showcasing the safety and practicality of this new approach.
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