Researchers from the University of California San Diego announced that a humanoid robot completed a gallbladder removal procedure, while a second proof-of-concept experiment saw two humanoid robots work together to perform a laparoscopic gallbladder removal.
Both operations were carried out on non-primate mammals and are detailed in a new paper, In vivo feasibility study of humanoid robots in surgery, published in the journal Nature.
The research team believes humanoid robots could transform access to surgery by making advanced robotic systems cheaper, more portable and easier to deploy in locations where specialist healthcare is limited.
Michael Yip, a faculty member in UC San Diego's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and one of the study's senior authors, said: "This study shows that humanoid robots have a viable future in the field of surgery.
"Remotely operated and autonomous humanoid robots have real potential for amplifying access to critical surgeries to which patients would otherwise not have access. This can help address the healthcare crisis not only in the United States, but also worldwide."
Unlike dedicated robotic surgery platforms already used in hospitals, the humanoid systems are designed to be significantly less expensive while occupying far less space in operating theatres.
Shanglei Liu, assistant professor of surgery at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and a senior author of the paper, remotely controlled the robot during the procedures.
Liu said: "It's a fraction of the cost and it takes a fraction of the space in an operating room.
"So it's easy to deploy, anywhere from rural areas, to the battlefield, and even to space."
The humanoid robots, nicknamed Surgie, were teleoperated by experienced surgeons during the study, though the researchers hope future advances in artificial intelligence will enable them to carry out more tasks autonomously.
Yip said the long-term vision is for AI-powered humanoids to work alongside medical teams rather than replace them.
He said: "One of our goals is to develop the autonomous surgical assistant.
"Many communities struggle with adequate staffing on the surgical team, which means patients are not being treated.
"Our goal is an operating theatre of the future, where humanoid robots and humans work side by side as an integrated team to deliver procedures to those in need, both in traditional hospital settings as well as in non-traditional, field medicine scenarios."
