A l'UM la science [S01-ep14]: From the hearo robot to the MedXCell company

This week, Frédéric Venail, medical director at CHU Gui de Chauliac, opens the doors of the operating room to us for the 3rd cochlear implant trial assisted by the Hearo semi-autonomous robot. In the second half of the program, Amrin introduces us to the MedXcell company, then Agnès Pesenti unveils the next Science Bar on the theme of "Screens and violence: the state of play".

For A l'UM la science, we went to the ENT department of the CHU Gui de Chauliac where Professor Fréderic Venail, medical head of the "otology and otoneurology" unit, agreed to open the doors of the operating theatre to us to observe a cochlear implantation assisted by the semi-autonomous Hearo robot: a first in France!

What is a cochlear implant? It involves inserting a miniature electrode into the cochlea, i.e. the inner ear, to stimulate the cochlea and improve hearing in people with severe to profound hearing loss.

The operation we attended was carried out as part of a clinical research protocol, assisted by the hearo robot. A machine designed by the Swiss company Cascination and MED-EL to perform the first phase of this cochlear implantation by milling a tunnel in the inner ear. 

The robot is coupled with medical imaging to calculate the optimum milling trajectory and reduce the risk of damaging inner ear structures.

The protocol calls for ten trials: we attended the third, and without wishing to divulge our report, it ended in success...

In the second half of the show, we stay in the medical field with the return of Amrin, who will introduce us to the MedXCell company.

To conclude the program, Agnès Pesenti, Head of Scientific Culture, will announce the next Science Bar to be held at the Dôme on Thursday March 17 at 8:30pm. On the program: "Ecran et violence : état des lieux".

At UM la science you've got the program, here we go!

Coproduction: Divergence FM / Université de Montpellier
Animation: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Reportage: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Feature: Amrin Nagamia and Agnès Pesenti
Production: Bruno Bertrand

Listen to the program "A l'UM la science" on Divergence FM 93.9