“A new standard of remote surgical support”
Modern medicine is becoming increasingly specialized. In traumatology, this means that one surgeon cannot cover the entire spectrum of procedures. Therefore, during acute interventions, the presence of a top specialist directly in the operating room is often lacking. The goal of the TELECHIRURGY project is to bridge this gap – to enable a remote expert to actively assist the surgeon in real-time, with accuracy and latency corresponding to real presence in the operating room.
Teleoperation utilizes a combination of modern imaging technology, coding and transmission systems, and 5G networks to create a reliable, low-latency, and secure channel between two operating rooms.
The foundation is a private 5G SA network, supplemented by the possibility of satellite backup (Starlink) and bonding of multiple connections.
The teleoperation project was carried out in cooperation with the Brno Military Hospital, the Central Military Hospital in Prague, and the University of Defence.
Phase I: laboratory tests of 3D/4K image transmission.
Phase II: first clinical procedure (inguinal hernia) with remote consultation.
Phase III: addition of an interactive pointer – the ability to mark a critical location directly in the image.
Phase IV: implementation into training and preparation of mobile teams for military and civilian deployment.
Thanks to 5G transmission, it was possible to reduce the transmission latency to approximately 1 second, which is an acceptable value for real surgical support.
Teleoperation relies on the integration of several key technologies:
Olympus Exoscope – provides the surgeon with a detailed 3D/4K image of the surgical field.
LiveU Encoders – bonding technology ensuring stable video transmission (up to 26 Mbit/s) even in case of fluctuating connectivity.
Peplink Routers – aggregation of multiple connections, QoS management, and redundancy support.
Private 5G SA network – built in VN Brno in cooperation with the University of Defence and T-Mobile, offers high throughput, low latency, and secure data transmission.
Riedel Bolero – professional intercom for seamless voice communication between teams.
Private 5G infrastructure is not always available for deployment in real missions (military operations, IRS, foreign missions). The tele-surgical system is designed to work even outside the hospital infrastructure.
A combination of multiple network types is used for field and crisis deployments:
Clinical practice – Availability of consultations with top specialists even outside large centers. Deployment in humanitarian or military missions; transfer to a central hospital.
Education – The ability to watch and comment on operations in real-time in a 3D environment.
Army and IRS – Deployment in humanitarian or military missions; transfer to a central hospital
Technology – Verification of low-latency transmission over 5G SA and bonding networks.
Future development – Integration with VR/AR technologies and digital twins for teaching and simulations
Teleoperation represents a combination of surgery, communication technologies, and cybersecurity. Thanks to the integration of private 5G networks, bonding encoders, and satellite connectivity, a system is created that:
Brno Military Hospital • Central Military Hospital Prague • University of Defence • T-Mobile Czech Republic • Smart Informatics • Olympus • LiveU • Peplink • Riedel
