Safer spine surgery thanks to artificial intelligence

The Ceit Technology Centre is taking part in the MIRAIA project, led by Cyber Surgery. Funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the project seeks to reduce key operational risks thanks to an improvement in the accuracy of robots and the learning capacity of artificial intelligence.

One of the main causes of the loss in quality of life of individuals derives from back problems, insofar as many people require surgery known as transpedicular fixation. This operation, which fixes movement among a set of vertebrae using screws, is a very delicate one owing to the presence of nerves such as the spinal cord.

The MIRAIA project, funded by the 2022 Projects in Public/Private Collaboration set in motion by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, came into being with a view to improving accuracy and reducing risks associated with the operation.

The project is led by Cyber Surgery, and its purpose is to improve the quality of life of patients via the development of technological solutions. In particular, work is being undertaken on a robotic surgical assistant that will be integrated into the project outcomes in a range of operations.

For its part, the Ceit Technology Centre has been working in this field since the time the initial project was set in motion with the Egile Group in 2013 and has accompanied Cyber Surgery in developing its surgical assistant. The MIRAIA project seeks to take advantage of the revolution that is taking place in the field of artificial intelligence to ensure that the assistant acts more intelligently and safely in the operating theatre.

Patient monitoring systems and the immediate environment

Two tools will be developed for the project. The first is a system for monitoring the patient’s movement and is critical to the success of the automated operation. The system must be able to measure and record the patient’s movement in real time and provide the robot with accurate information, insofar as the latter may offset any undesired movement to ensure the operation be conducted safely and accurately.

Furthermore, a tool for monitoring the surgical area will also be developed. This system will enable the robot to gain a full view of the immediate environment and be made aware of the exact position of the objects and individuals present in the operating theatre, in turn enabling it to act more intelligently and safely.

Together, these two tools will significantly improve the accuracy and safety of automated operations which, in turn, will benefit the patient and the surgical team.

A solution for a range of sectors

As a result of population ageing and the relaxation of production processes, there is growing interest on the part of industrial companies in robotics systems such as that of the collaborative robot. Although they are safe, they are not able to perceive their immediate environment, unlike the solution that will be developed within the framework of the MIRAIA project, and which will also be able to be used for new applications in fields other than medicine.