HONG
KONG, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In
June 2024, a surgical team led by
Professor Richard Y. Su and Dr.
Jane J. Pu from the Faculty of
Dentistry at The University of Hong
Kong, in collaboration with United Imaging Intelligence
(UII), has achieved a groundbreaking AI-assisted oral and
maxillofacial reconstructive surgery using uAI MERITS platform. uAI
MERITS platform, which stands for Metaverse Ecosystem for Robotic
Intervention, Therapy, and Surgery, is powered by a large
multimodal model for medicine.
Overcoming Challenges in Oral and Maxillofacial
Reconstructive Surgery
This surgery helped a patient who had lost part of her mandible
due to cancer by successfully reconstructing the mandible and
restoring normal aesthetics and functions. The surgery involved the
transplantation of a free fibular flap from the patient's lower
leg, which encompassed bone, and soft tissue, to reconstruct the
missing mandible and oral mucosa. At the same time, dental implants
were placed in the newly transplanted bone, restoring the patient's
masticatory functions, anatomical structures, and facial
aesthetics.
Maxillofacial reconstruction surgeries have been constrained by
the complexity of anatomical structures, the high demands for
aesthetics and functionality, and the necessity for surgical
precision. In this case, the accurate identification and
localization of perforator vessels within the soft tissue were
pivotal to the success of mandibular reconstruction using a free
fibula flap.
In traditional approaches, it is imperative for surgeons to
possess an exceptionally high-level of expertise and extensive
surgical experience to minimize errors when localizing perforator
vessels. Historically, physicians have relied on auxiliary tools
such as ultrasound to estimate the location of these perforator
vessels, a method that often lacks precision and fails to achieve
optimal surgical outcomes. Moreover, the surgical process demands a
significant expenditure of time and effort from the surgeons, who
must manually compare and delineate between conventional
cross-sectional CT images and the surgical site. This process poses
considerable challenges to the efficiency and accuracy of the
surgery.
AI-Assisted Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery
Achieves Outstand Results
For the first time, Professor Su's team successfully completed
an oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery with the
assistance of a large multimodal model for medicine. The innovation
of this technology lies in its ability to address the clinical
challenge of surgeons relying on empirical knowledge and best
estimates to locate perforating vessels during free flap harvesting
surgery. This solution is achieved through a robust, large-scale
transformer model trained on a diverse array of medical images for
precise segmentation preoperatively, and a large multimodal model
for 3D image and video registration, prospective projection, and
dynamic visual tracking intraoperatively. This integrated approach
significantly improves surgical efficiency and accuracy.
Empowered by AI, the mandibular reconstruction surgery utilized
the UII Discover - Runoff CTA system, an advanced intelligent
system for evaluating the arteries of the lower extremity. This
system facilitated rapid and automatic reconstruction of a
comprehensive 3D model of the lower limb's arteries, bones, and
skin, offering a multimodal, 360° rotational view. It intelligently
identified and outlined the perforator vessels in the leg, and
displayed them in various colors, which streamlined the
preoperative planning process and enhanced surgical efficiency.
During the surgery, the uAI MERITS system, which integrates
advanced AI technologies such as large multimodal models and
digital twins, played a pivotal role in enhancing precision and
efficiency. It provided real-time projection of anatomy that
intelligently and dynamically aligned the 3D reconstruction from
the CTA system with the patient's surgical site, seamlessly
adapting to patient movement without compromising the accuracy of
the procedure. This goggle-free approach allowed for the rapid and
precise delineation of the surgical field, significantly improving
the precision and success rate of the surgery.
The success of this oral and maxillofacial reconstructive
surgery is a testament to the integration of cutting-edge
technologies, such as AI and large multimodal models, with
real-world medical use cases. It also marks the world's first oral
and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery driven by a large
multimodal model for medicine.
Currently, the team has successfully completed three oral and
maxillofacial reconstructive surgeries using the uAI MERITS
platform. Notably, distinct from the first two free fibula flap
surgeries, the third surgery marked a milestone by introducing
another groundbreaking technique of harvesting the anterolateral
thigh flap for the first time.
At the International Society for Oral and Maxillofacial
Rehabilitation Conference held in Hong
Kong in June, Professor Su shared a successful case of using
uAI MERITS for oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery, which
garnered widespread attention from the attending experts and
clinicians. Additionally, James J.
Xia, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at United Imaging
Intelligence, shared the latest advances of AI technology in the
field of medicine. He expressed that the company will continue to
collaborate with medical professionals to discover more clinical
use cases and develop more clinical applications leveraging large
model technology, thereby expanding possibilities for physicians
and patients worldwide.
Disclaimer: Products and features mentioned herein may not be
commercially available in all countries. Their future availability
cannot be guaranteed.
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SOURCE United Imaging Intelligence