Safe Surgeries Expected Even for Special Cases Such as Intractable, Large Stones, and Female Patients
Roen Surgical, a surgical robot company, announced on May 14 that it has supplied the world's first artificial intelligence (AI)-based kidney stone surgery robot, Zamenix, to Seoul National University Hospital.
Medical staff from the Department of Urology at Seoul National University Hospital are taking a commemorative photo for the introduction of Roen Surgical's AI-based kidney stone surgery robot, Jamenix. Roen Surgical
Zamenix is the world's first fully robotic, AI-based kidney stone surgery robot. It consists of a flexible endoscope robot and a remote control console. The 2.8mm flexible endoscope can pass through the urethra and ureter without incision to repeatedly remove stones from the kidney. During surgery, a single physician remotely operates the robot from the console to precisely remove the stones.
In particular, Zamenix has increased the rate of stone fragmentation and removal compared to conventional surgical methods through various AI functions. The respiratory compensation feature automatically adjusts for the movement of stones caused by the patient's breathing, thereby improving the accuracy of laser targeting, shortening surgery time, and enhancing safety. In addition, the robot is equipped with technology that automatically determines the size of the stone, fragments it with the appropriate laser output, and removes it without damaging the ureter. The "path replay function" enables the endoscope to remember and automatically restore previous entry routes, streamlining repeated stone removal procedures.
The Department of Urology at Seoul National University Hospital expects that, with the introduction of Zamenix, it will be possible to provide more precise and safer treatment by converting difficult kidney stone surgeries?such as retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) using a ureteroscope, large stones, and female patients?to robotic procedures. In particular, the team led by Professor Cho Sungyong, who spearheaded the introduction, was responsible for the pivotal clinical trial in 2022 for Zamenix's manufacturing approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In that trial, surgeries were performed on 46 patients with kidney stones measuring 0.5 to 3 cm, resulting in a 93.5% stone removal rate and a 6.5% incidence of mild complications, thereby demonstrating the efficacy and safety of Zamenix. These results were published in 2023 in the SCI(E)-indexed journal Scientific Reports.
Starting with this supply contract, Roen Surgical and Seoul National University Hospital plan to establish a joint research center to lay the foundation for long-term technology development and cooperation. In addition, they will introduce a Zamenix Robot Center within the hospital to operate a surgical robot training program for specialized medical professionals in the field of stone surgery both domestically and internationally. Professor Cho stated, "I am very pleased that this innovative, domestically developed surgical robot, which has been part of clinical processes and various national projects, can quickly enter not only the domestic but also the overseas market. The introduction of Zamenix will further strengthen Seoul National University Hospital's position in the field of high-risk kidney stone surgery."
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