A new Artificial Intelligence tool that colour-codes different parts of the body during live operations has been used by surgeons for the first time in the UK. Medics at St Mark’s, the National Bowel Hospital, used the tool to operate on a patient in her 60s on Thursday. The patient, who has not been named, received a bowel resection at the hospital, which is part of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.
The tool, known as the Eureka system, works alongside robotic or laparoscopic surgery and highlights different parts of the anatomy in real time on a screen. Connective tissue could be highlighted as turquoise or nerves could be highlighted in green, while other parts of the anatomy can be shown with other colours. Experts said the system supports precision, efficiency and safety by helping surgeons protect or dissect specific structures during operations.
The portable Artificial Intelligence unit was developed by surgeons in Japan who trained the tool using thousands of videos of surgical procedures. The operation on Thursday was the first time it has been used in the UK. It was also the first time that it has been used during surgery outside Japan. Consultant surgeon Kapil Sahnan described the tool as an “extra helping arm” that can look at live surgery and identify hidden structures that may not be visible to surgeons.
Sahnan compared the system to a surgical navigation aid, saying its real-time overlay allows surgeons to see guidance while operating. He said the aim is to prevent errors before they happen by using intelligence derived from thousands and thousands and thousands of labelled operative videos. Work is under way to prove the system’s advantages and explore wider rollout, with Sahnan saying it would be “amazing if everybody had it in the next couple of years” because it could make surgery safer.
