UAE researchers win award for AI tool that helps surgeons during operations

Researchers in Abu Dhabi have claimed international recognition at a robotic surgery conference in Italy for an AI tool that aids surgeons during procedures. The team at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi triumphed at the Robotic Urology Breakthrough Innovation Challenge award at Erus 26, held in Padua, Italy, in September.

The system, called Janus AI, assists surgeons by displaying footage of comparable past surgeries. The technology examines video recorded during robotic surgery and chooses a 30-second excerpt from an earlier operation that mirrors the current stage of the treatment. This functions akin to a Google search for robotic surgery clips, permitting medical professionals to access relevant instances during the operation.

The footage assists surgeons in observing how other practitioners managed the same task and guides them through upcoming steps. Professor Cesare Stefanini, a robotics expert at MBZUAI who led the technology's development, explained that Janus AI displays small videos of similar, successful procedures superimposed onto the surgeon's view at the exact moment, offering a guideline to follow.

"Sometimes surgeons may need some assistance; they would like to discuss with a colleague what they are doing, but they are not there, so this is a way to bring some human content to another human." The name Janus AI originates from the Roman deity Janus, who is illustrated with two faces—one looking backward and the other forward.

This concept mirrors the system's objective of leveraging previous surgical experience to guide doctors during ongoing procedures. Janus AI received its accolade at Erus 26 along with surgeons from the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Turin in Italy. Postdoctoral researcher Edoardo Fazzari, who played a significant role in developing the system, emphasized the practical benefits of the project beyond academic research.

The system displays footage from three previous operations at the same stage of a procedure, enabling surgeons to compare various approaches. "Why it’s helpful for the resident, for the surgeons, is that you can look at the future. We are using past experience to help humans make the next steps," Fazzari stated. The current video library encompasses robotic urology procedures, such as nephrectomies.

MBZUAI plans to broaden the system's scope to other surgical procedures as the library expands. However, Janus AI is not yet prepared for live surgeries; it necessitates further refinement and regulatory approval before entering clinical practice. Once developed, the researchers aim to establish a commercial partner to commercialize the technology.

Prof Stefanini, whose team intends to recruit new postgraduate students, including Emiratis, considers the achievement as a source of pride for the UAE. He highlighted MBZUAI's capacity to produce world-class outcomes in the UAE, thanks to the talent and vision available locally.