Science at UM [S01-ep14]: From the Hearo robot to MedXCell
This week, Frédéric Venail, medical director at Gui de Chauliac University Hospital, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the operating room for the third cochlear implant procedure performed using the semi-autonomous Hearo robot. In the second half of the program, Amrin will introduce us to the company MedXcell, and then Agnès Pesenti will reveal details about the upcoming Science Bar on the theme “Screens and Violence: A Current Assessment.”
For A l’UM la science, we visited the ENT department at Gui de Chauliac University Hospital, where Professor Frédéric Venail, medical director of the “Otology and Otoneurology” unit, agreed to give us full access to the operating room to observe a cochlear implant procedure performed using the semi-autonomous Hearo robot: a first in France!
First of all, what exactly is a cochlear implant? It involves inserting a miniature electrode into the cochlea—that is, the inner ear—whose purpose is to stimulate the cochlea in order to improve hearing in people with severe to profound hearing loss.
The procedure we observed was performed as part of a clinical research protocol, as it involved the use of the hearo robot. This device, developed by the Swiss company Cascination and MED-EL, is designed to perform the first phase of this cochlear implant procedure by drilling a tunnel into the inner ear.
The robot is integrated with medical imaging, enabling the calculation of the optimal drilling path and reducing the risk of damaging the structures of the inner ear.
The protocol calls for ten tests: we attended the third one, and without giving away too much of our report, it ended in success…
In the second half of the show, we’ll stay in the medical field with the return of Amrin, who will be joining us to introduce the company MedXCell.
To wrap up the program, Agnès Pesenti, head of science outreach, will announce the next Science Bar, which will take place at the Dôme on Thursday, March 17, at 8:30 p.m. On the agenda: “Screen Media and Violence: A Current Assessment.”
At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Report: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Feature: Amrin Nagamia and Agnès Pesenti
Director: Bruno Bertrand
Tune in to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9
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