title: The RoboConsultant: telementoring and remote presence in the operating room during minimally invasive urologic surgeries using a novel mobile robotic interface.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Remote presence is the ability of an individual to project himself from one location to another to see, hear, roam, talk, and interact just as if that individual were actually there. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and functionality of a novel mobile robotic telementoring system controlled by a portable laptop control station linked via broadband Internet connection.
  
  
  METHODS
  RoboConsultant (RemotePresence-7; InTouch Health, Sunnyvale, CA) was employed for the purpose of intraoperative telementoring and consultation during five laparoscopic and endoscopic urologic procedures. Robot functionality including navigation, zoom capability, examination of external and internal endoscopic camera views, and telestration were evaluated. The robot was controlled by a senior surgeon from various locations ranging from an adjacent operating room to an affiliated hospital 5 miles away.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RoboConsultant performed without connection failure or interruption in each case, allowing the consulting surgeon to immerse himself and navigate within the operating room environment and provide effective communication, mentoring, telestration, and consultation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RoboConsultant provided clear, real-time, and effective telementoring and telestration and allowed the operator to experience remote presence in the operating room environment as a surgical consultant. The portable laptop control station and wireless connectivity allowed the consultant to be mobile and interact with the operating room team from virtually any location. In the future, the remote presence provided by the RoboConsultant may provide useful and effective intraoperative consultation by expert surgeons located in remote sites.
authors: Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors: Rahul
authors: R
authors: Agarwal
authors: Adam W
authors: AW
authors: Levinson
authors: Mohamad
authors: M
authors: Allaf
authors: Danil
authors: D
authors: Makarov
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Nason
authors: Li-Ming
authors: LM
authors: Su
mesh_terms: D015653:Cystectomy / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008838:Microcomputers; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods; D019114:Remote Consultation; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*