Voice-controlled robot makes complex gynaecological surgeries easier

SINGAPORE — Patients undergoing gynaecological surgery will now be able to benefit from a new voice-controlled robotic system at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

The ViKY Uterus Positioner (ViKY UP) robot, operated via wireless Bluetooth headset, is a motorised device that uses voice commands to control the positioning of the uterus during complex gynaecological surgeries.

Traditionally, an assisting technician controlled the position of the uterus manually during surgery. This can be challenging as when the assistant gets fatigued, it becomes difficult for them to maintain the traction required on the uterus during the procedure’s critical phases.

Earlier this year, an SGH surgeon performed the first multi-robot assisted surgery in Asia. With the use of ViKY UP alongside another robotic system, surgery was performed on a patient suffering from severe endometriosis, a condition which affects about 10 per cent of women and in some cases, can cause severe abdominal pain and infertility. CHANNEL NEWSASIA