University of Naples Federico II: Launch of the Project "PROTECH – Robotized Platform for Teleoperation in Minimally Invasive Surgery
The University of Naples Federico II announces the launch of the project PROTECH – Robotized Platform for Teleoperation in Minimally Invasive Surgery.
The project, supported by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, is promoted in collaboration with Masmec S.p.A., E.M.A.C. – Elettronica Medicale ed Attrezzature Chimicocliniche S.r.l., the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute IRCCS Foundation, and the University of Sannio in Benevento. Its primary goal is to develop a teleoperable robot-assisted navigation platform aimed at revolutionizing minimally invasive surgery.
This system will integrate cutting-edge technologies, including augmented reality, haptic control, and remote monitoring, enabling the creation of a highly advanced operating room. The planned hardware and software systems will allow real-time teleoperation and sharing of navigation and intraoperative images, significantly enhancing the effectiveness and safety of surgical procedures.
Minimally invasive surgery offers numerous advantages, such as reduced post-operative complications, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and lower operational costs for healthcare facilities.
The PROTECH project aims to address key challenges associated with these techniques, such as the need for intraoperative imaging, reducing ionizing radiation exposure, and increasing surgical precision. In particular, neurosurgery will greatly benefit from advanced robotics, sensor technology, and remote surgery solutions.
The project is based on clinical requirements defined by the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute and aims to develop a system enabling the safe and precise insertion of a probe needle into brain tissue for sampling or treatments, even without the physical presence of the surgeon in the operating room.
Masmec S.p.A. will focus on trajectory planning and navigation using a collaborative robotic arm, while the University of Sannio and the University of Naples Federico II will develop optoelectronic technologies to ensure target precision through advanced fluorescence and blood flow measurements based on integrated fiber optic systems. Teleoperation will be implemented using augmented reality tools, holographic headsets, haptic interfaces, and advanced communication technologies.
“The research team at Federico II, operating within the Opto Power Lab of DIETI, initially focused on analyzing the state of the art concerning blood perfusion measurements of in vivo tissues, with particular attention to intracranial perfusion. The state of the art identified various techniques and technologies, each with different advantages and disadvantages depending on the application. In the specific case study of this project, a solution that could be integrated with fiber optic technology was sought, identifying several methodologies that could benefit from the chemical and/or spectral composition of the blood flow itself,” said Giovanni Breglio, Scientific Director of DIETI. “To design the final optoelectronic system, we first identified the optical subsystem that interfaces directly with the intracranial region. Subsequently, we considered the optical-electrical transduction subset and the related data processing section,” he concluded.
