Baptist Hospital launches local robotic surgery system Sentire
Hong Kong Baptist Hospital has rolled out Sentire, a locally developed robotic surgical system for urology and general surgery. The hospital plans to expand its use and launch a subsidy for prostate cancer patients next month.
Hong Kong Baptist Hospital has introduced a locally developed robotic surgical system to expand its capacity for complex urological and general surgery.
The system, known as Sentire and developed by Cornerstone Robotics, began operating at the hospital last month. Its five-millimeter instruments have a range of motion of up to 600 degrees, while the system provides 3D imaging and a 20 per cent wider field of view to help surgeons operate in deep or narrow areas.
The hospital said it plans to extend use of the system to other specialties in the future. A one-year subsidy program for prostate cancer patients will also be launched next month, offering eligible patients up to HK$30,000 toward robot-assisted surgery.
Speaking at the launch ceremony on Tuesday, hospital chief executive Leung Chi-bon said demand for specialized and complex procedures was increasing as the population aged and cancer incidence rose. He said the system would strengthen the medical team’s ability to perform complex operations and improve patient experience.
Hospital board chairman Eddie Ho Kang-wai said the adoption of locally developed medical technology was in line with government efforts to develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology center.
Philip Chiu Wai-yan, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the system could enhance the hospital’s surgical services while demonstrating how locally developed medical technology could be applied in clinical care and provide patients with more minimally invasive treatment options.
Cornerstone Robotics, a strategic partner of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, said last month that global medical technology company Medtronic had made a strategic investment of about HK$5.48 billion in the company.