Pre-clinical R&D of ALIS (Automated Laparoscopic Instrument Stabiliser) to deliver “solo” keyhole surgery and more cost-effective medical procedures.

Advanced minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques are being performed in gynaecology, cardiac surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and general surgery. MIS general surgery is called laparoscopic surgery and usually requires two to three surgical assistants to perform. However, the healthcare system can significantly reduce costs and improve resource efficiency and safety by reducing the number of assistants required to perform laparoscopic surgery. There is a need for surgeons to perform routine laparoscopic procedures solo. The primary instrument in laparoscopic surgery is a camera or laparoscope inserted in the patient's body through tiny incisions to provide a view inside. Unfortunately, due to the laparoscope's size, weight, and shape, a camera assistant operates the laparoscope.

Laparoscopes need fine adjustment for the correct aiming at the surgical field. Camera assistants sometimes operate the laparoscope according to a surgeon's instructions. However, camera assistants must operate the laparoscope using their judgement to understand the surgeon's intentions to move it according to how the surgery progresses. The operation of a laparoscope by a camera assistant requires as much proficiency as that of surgeons. It is not unusual for surgery to be interrupted due to a camera assistant not being sufficiently proficient in using the laparoscope.

To overcome this problem, many companies have developed large, highly engineered robotic arms that provide a surgeon with the required "third hand". However, these robotic systems are very complex, slow to use, and extremely expensive. Equally, hospitals often need dedicated operating theatres and trained staff to run these robots, so they are not widely used.

To solve this problem, Smart Surgical Appliances Ltd has developed an automated laparoscopic instrument stabiliser (ALIS) or camera robot that can hold and position a laparoscope instead of a human camera assistant.

It is the world's first patient-mounted, small form factor robot that allows the surgeon to control the laparoscope hands-free via a foot controller with no specialist facilities or trained staff required. ALIS is stuck onto the patient, similar to a wound dressing providing a compact and cost-effective way of delivering solo MIS.

An engineering prototype has been successfully developed and tested in simulated MIS procedures with laparoscopic surgeons. Grant funding is sought to enable the team to advance ALIS's development and crucially enable surgeons to test ALIS in live animal surgery, facilitating essential refinements in preparation for transfer to manufacture, regulatory approval, and human surgery.