AI-guided cardiac surgery in China

Medical teams at the Sixth Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing have performed the world’s first congenital heart defect repair using an advanced AI-powered ultrasound robot. The procedure was conducted on a 48-year-old male patient suffering from an atrial septal defect.

Unlike conventional intervention robots that only deliver medical instruments, this intelligent system enables two-way synchronization between real-time image recognition and surgical manipulation. The robot utilizes a robotic arm capable of autonomous movements to acquire ultrasound images, which AI algorithms then analyze to identify malformations, delineate boundaries, and reconstruct real-time three-dimensional representations of the heart.

This technology was employed to facilitate a minimally invasive catheter-introduced occlusion device procedure in a case where traditional catheter interventions were difficult and open-heart surgery had been previously recommended. The system aims to reduce human error, increase precision, and address challenges such as manual manipulation fatigue or imprecise angles during complex cardiovascular interventions.