A team from the Institute of Robotics and Information and Communications Technologies (IRTIC) at the UV Science Park is leading the development of an artificial intelligence system to improve precision and safety in robotic surgery. The project, called SIRA -Intelligent Anatomical Recognition System- will identify in real time anatomical structures and possible foreign objects in the area of intervention, and will support medical decision-making during the operation. The Research Foundation of the General University Hospital of Valencia (FIHGUV) and the technology company Lãberit are collaborating in this initiative
The SIRA system, currently under development, will function as an assistant attached to the robotic surgical platform used in each intervention. Using advanced computer vision techniques, it will be able to recognize anatomical organs and structures, as well as detect and alert the presence of foreign objects - gauze or misplaced instruments- thus reducing the risk of complications for patients.
During the first phase of the project, recently completed, the research team has accumulated more than 3,000 hours of intraoperative recordings in gynecology, urology, thoracic surgery, general surgery and gastrointestinal robotic interventions. This volume of data has been instrumental in training and validating SIRA’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. It has also developed a surgical image tagging system that will facilitate assistance during all types of robotic interventions.
The SIRA system has been developed as an innovative complement to established robotic surgery platforms such as Da Vinci. It aims to improve the surgeon’s decision-making during surgery by using artificial intelligence.
"The collaboration between university, public hospital and technological company represents a firm commitment to health innovation. The sum of their capabilities will contribute to improving medicine and positioning the Valencian Community at the forefront of precision surgery", José Vicente Riera, IRTIC researcher and principal responsible for SIRA
The project, initiated in February 2025, has a budget of nearly half a million euros and is financed by the aid for experimental development projects in the area of artificial intelligence and to promote the development of sectoral data spaces of the Generalitat Valenciana, under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. This investment, co-financed with Next Generation funds from the European Union, is part of the digital transformation strategy of the Valencia region.
The SIRA consortium combines the experience of its three partners to tackle this multidisciplinary challenge: the Institute for Robotics and Information and Communication Technologies (IRTIC), located in the scientific-academic area of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), coordinates the project and leads the technological development, applying its background in artificial intelligence and computer vision; FIHGUV brings clinical knowledge and is responsible for labeling the surgical images that feed the AI; and the company Lãberit, providing the technological infrastructure, will also be responsible for integrating the system into hospitals, ensuring data security and preparing its large-scale clinical use.
"The collaboration between university, public hospital and technological company represents a firm commitment to health innovation," says José Vicente Riera, researcher at IRTIC and principal responsible for SIRA. "The sum of their capabilities will contribute to improving medicine and positioning the Valencian Community at the forefront of precision surgery," he adds.
The implementation of the system as a complementary module in the robotic surgery platforms of several public hospitals in Valencia is part of the objectives of the project.
Source: UV News
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