Medical professionals from the Scottish region and the United States have successfully completed what is believed to be a world-first brain operation utilizing robotic technology.
The lead surgeon, from a Scottish university, executed the distant clot removal - the elimination of blood clots following a stroke - on a human cadaver that had been provided for research.
The professor was working from a medical facility in the Scottish city, while the subject undergoing procedure with the machine was across the city at the academic institution.
Subsequently, Ricardo Hanel from the American state used the system to carry out the initial intercontinental procedure from his Florida location on a human body in the Scottish city over 6,400km away.
The medical group has labeled it a potential "transformative advancement" if it gains clearance for medical treatment.
The doctors consider this innovation could transform stroke treatment, as a slow access to professional intervention can have a major influence on the chances of recovery.
"It seemed like we were seeing the initial vision of the coming era," commented Prof Grunwald.
"Where previously this was thought to be theoretical concept, we demonstrated that all stages of the surgery can currently be accomplished."
The medical research center is the international education hub of the international stroke organization, and is the only place in the UK where medical professionals can work with medical specimens with biological fluid circulated in the blood pathways to replicate operations on a live human.
"This was the first time that we could execute the whole mechanical thrombectomy procedure in a genuine medical subject to demonstrate that every phase of the operation are achievable," said the primary researcher.
A healthcare leader, the director of a medical organization, labeled the intercontinental surgery as "a significant breakthrough".
"Over extended periods, people living in countryside locations have been deprived of access to surgical intervention," she added.
"Such technological systems could correct the imbalance which exists in stroke treatment throughout Britain."
An blockage stroke happens when an artery is blocked by a clot.
This disrupts blood and oxygen supply to the brain, and neural cells lose function and expire.
The optimal therapy is a thrombectomy, where a specialist uses surgical tools to clear the obstruction.
But what happens when a person cannot access a expert who can perform the surgery?
The medical expert stated the study demonstrated a mechanical device could be attached to the identical medical instruments a surgeon would conventionally utilize, and a medical staff who is attending the case could simply attach the wires.
The specialist, in another location, could then manipulate and control their individual tools, and the automated system then executes precisely identical actions in real time on the patient to carry out the clot removal.
The patient would be in a treatment center, while the surgeon could conduct the operation via the automated equipment from any location - even their private dwelling.
Prof Grunwald and the neurosurgeon could observe real-time imaging of the subject in the experiments, and track developments in immediate feedback, with the Dundee expert explaining it took merely twenty minutes of preparation.
Technology companies prominent manufacturers were involved in the initiative to secure the communication link of the automated system.
"To conduct procedures from the US to Scotland with a brief latency - a moment - is truly remarkable," said the medical expert.
The lead researcher, who has received recognition for her research and is also the executive member of the global healthcare association, stated there were primary challenges with a standard thrombectomy - a global shortage of doctors who can conduct it, and care is determined by your physical place.
In Scotland, there are just three locations individuals can receive the procedure - Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you aren't located nearby, you must journey.
"The procedure is very time sensitive," said Prof Grunwald.
"For every six minutes of waiting, you have a slightly decreased likelihood of having a positive result.
"This innovation would now provide a novel approach where you're not reliant upon where you dwell - preserving the crucial moments where your brain is deteriorating."
Medical statistics revealed there were {9,625 ischaemic strokes|numerous cerebral events|
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