medical informatics

On Friday 7 May 2010, ATiT produced on behalf of +he Academy (The European Academy for Gynaecological Surgery) live demonstrations of surgical interventions organised by the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy. The programme connected six operation theatres in two Belgian Hospitals (UZ Gasthuisberg in Leuven and Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg ZOL in Genk) with a large auditorium in Antwerp.

More than 10 cameras, 3 satellite uplinks and 4 satellite channels were used to capture and transmit the images of the gynaecological interventions in the best possible quality to the Koningin Elizabethzaal in Antwerp where hundreds of participants could follow 4 operations simultaneously. Operating surgeons answered questions from the audience while demonstrating innovative surgical techniques and procedures. The programme, sponsored by Storz, Intuitive Surgical, Covidien and AMS,  lasted for more than three hours and was received very well by the hundreds of viewers.

13 surgeons from all over Europe carried out operations such as Robotic Radical Hysterectomy, Urogynaecology, Laparoscopic Hysterectomy, Ureter Endometriosis or a Laparoscopic BSO and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy. The viewers in the auditorium were impressed with the scientific quality of the programme as well as with the technical and organisational quality of the live transmissions.

The 25th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology taking place in Amsterdam from 28 June - 1 July 2009 included a series of live surgery sessions, sponsored by Storz and realised by a team from ATiT.

These sessions featured four operations, broadcast live by satellite from the Heilig Hart Hospital in Leuven to the conference site in Amsterdam. Satellite uplink services were provided by Headline, the Brussels based SNG specialists.

The operations were related to laparoscopic myomectomy, endometriosis, operative hysteroscopy and transvaginal laparoscopy. Between 500 and 600 participants attending the conference site could interact with the surgeons during operations and in this way were able to follow the very latest reproductive surgical operational practices and procedures.

On Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 March 2009, ATiT provided the video production services for a successful training session of the European Academy for Gynaecological Surgery (EAGS) at +heAcademy House in Leuven. Endoscopic as well as other camera images were transmitted via IP videoconferencing as well as terrestrial microwave links between the operation theatres of the Hospitals of Zuid Oost Limburg (Genk) and Heilig Hart (Leuven) and the EAGS Auditorium in Leuven (Belgium).

ATiT is working closely with +heAcademy to research and develop new methods to reliably distribute high quality images of live surgery at acceptable cost to support professional training for surgeons. ATiT uses appropriate technologies such as satellite, microwave and telecommunication networks. 

On Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October 2008, ATiT provided the video production services for a successful training session of the European Academy for Gynaecological Surgery (EAGS). Endoscopic as well as other camera images were transmitted via IP videoconferencing as well as terrestrial microwave links between the operation theatres of the Hospitals of Zuid Oost Limburg (Genk) and Heilig Hart (Leuven) and the EAGS Auditorium in Leuven (Belgium). An additional connection transmitted the same programme for part of the day to the ESGE Live Demonstration Workshop 2008 in the Military Medical Academy in Sofia (Bulgaria).

The final workshop for the Health Informatics Project BEANISH took place in Gabarone on 13-14 March and brought together representatives from health authorities, ministries and universities in Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique and Norway to review the progress of this EU supported project and to discuss plans for the future. The purpose of BEANISH is to strengthen and extend an existing Europe-Africa collaborative network to support the application and sharing of IST application development so as to support cooperation, learning and innovation in mutually beneficial ways. In its 3 year lifetime, the project has taken significant strides in the right direction and large scale take-up of the applications developed by the network are now taking place in several countries. For more information, visit the BEANISH web site.