In a rare medical feat, a doctor carried out an endoscopy on a pig in Hong Kong while sitting in a lab which was 9,300 kilometres away in Zurich, Switzerland.

The operation was part of the collaborative project between researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and ETH Zurich.&nbsp;

In the project, the researchers were able to look into the stomach of the anaesthetized animal while sitting in the other half of the world with the help of a smooth internet connection and clever robotic technology.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/namibia-to-cull-over-700-elephants-hippos-and-other-animals-for-meat-heres-why-754340">Namibia to cull over 700 elephants, hippos and other animals for meat. Here's why</a>

Doctoral student Alexandre Mesot used the joysticks of a PlayStation controller to manipulate the endoscope in Hong Kong and checked the images on a screen in the lab in Zurich. There was only a 300-millisecond delay in loading of the images.

This surgery has emerged as a breakthrough in the field of telesurgery.&nbsp;

Before the endoscopy, the surgeons had anaesthetized the pig in the operating room in Hong Kong and had also safely inserted the endoscope in its stomach through the mouth.

<h2>Here's how the doctor carried out nearly impossible endoscopy on pig</h2>

The endoscope used not any usual one but was specially developed by the ETH Zurich team for navigating with the help of a magnetic field.

“Not only can the endoscope be bent in any direction thanks to its magnetic head; it’s also smaller and easier to manoeuvre than conventional devices,” said Mesot, in his statement.

Mesot said that it was so flexible that he was able to control the endoscope from Switzerland and easily manipulate it bend its head backwards by 180° and check the stomach entrance.&nbsp;

Mesot was also able to take tissue samples from the stomach wall using a tiny gripper. Since this endoscope is smaller than usual, it can be used on human patients by inserting it through their nose and not the mouth.

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“In the next step of our research, we hope to carry out a teleoperated endoscopy on a human stomach,” said Professor Bradley Nelson, who is from the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich while speaking to IFL Science.

“There’s a lot of potential in this technology. Here I’m thinking of minimally invasive procedures in the gastrointestinal tract, such as cancer screening," he added.

As per the reports, the pig survived the endoscopy and did not suffer because of the operation's novel nature.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a rare medical feat, a doctor carried out an endoscopy on a pig in Hong Kong while sitting in a lab which was 9,300 kilometres away in Zurich, Switzerland. The operation was part of the collaborative project between researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and ETH Zurich.

In a rare medical feat, a doctor carried out an endoscopy on a pig in Hong Kong while sitting in a lab which was 9,300 kilometres away in Zurich, Switzerland. The operation was part of the collaborative project between researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and ETH Zurich. In the project, the researchers were able to look into the stomach of the anaesthetized animal while sitting in the other half of the world with the help of a smooth internet connection and clever robotic technology. Also Read: Namibia to cull over 700 elephants, hippos and other animals for meat. Here's why Doctoral student Alexandre Mesot used the joysticks of a PlayStation controller to manipulate the endoscope in Hong Kong and checked the images on a screen in the lab in Zurich. There was only a 300-millisecond delay in loading of the images. This surgery has emerged as a breakthrough in the field of telesurgery. Before the endoscopy, the surgeons had anaesthetized the pig in the operating room in Hong Kong and had also safely inserted the endoscope in its stomach through the mouth. Here's how the doctor carried out nearly impossible endoscopy on pig The endoscope used not any usual one but was specially developed by the ETH Zurich team for navigating with the help of a magnetic field. “Not only can the endoscope be bent in any direction thanks to its magnetic head; it’s also smaller and easier to manoeuvre than conventional devices,” said Mesot, in his statement. Mesot said that it was so flexible that he was able to control the endoscope from Switzerland and easily manipulate it bend its head backwards by 180° and check the stomach entrance. Mesot was also able to take tissue samples from the stomach wall using a tiny gripper. Since this endoscope is smaller than usual, it can be used on human patients by inserting it through their nose and not the mouth. Watch: Lab-grown blood stem cells could replace bone marrow transplants: Report “In the next step of our research, we hope to carry out a teleoperated endoscopy on a human stomach,” said Professor Bradley Nelson, who is from the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich while speaking to IFL Science. “There’s a lot of potential in this technology. Here I’m thinking of minimally invasive procedures in the gastrointestinal tract, such as cancer screening," he added. As per the reports, the pig survived the endoscopy and did not suffer because of the operation's novel nature. (With inputs from agencies)

Doctor carries out operation from a distance of 9,000 kilometres. Here's how

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has appealed to people to “avoid contact" with a beluga whale so that the animal doesn't suffer any injuries accidentally or lose its life.

The whale, who has been given the nickname "Hvaldimir", received international fame in 2019 after someone spotted it wearing a specially made harness which had mounts for a camera. The discovery made experts believe that the whale is likely to have been trained by the Russian military.

Since 2019, the whale has “been travelling along the Norwegian coast” and stopping at some point along the way, as per the directorate, which further stated that Hvaldimir “tends to stay at farms where it has been able to catch fish, grazing on surplus feed.”

Hvaldimir is famous for following boats and playing with people on board. The whale, which is Norway's protected species, stays in inner Oslofjord, said the directorate.&nbsp;

This “means that it has arrived in a very densely populated area, and the risk that the whale may be injured due to human contact has become significantly greater,” it further stated.&nbsp;

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<h2>Whale suffered minor injuries, says fisheries director</h2>

Fisheries Director Frank Bakke-Jensen, in a statement on Wednesday, said that “so far there have only been minor incidents where the whale has suffered minor injuries, primarily from contact with boats.”

However, he appealed to people to maintain their distance, “even though the whale is tame and used to being around people.”

“We especially encourage people in boats to keep a good distance to avoid the whale being injured or, in the worst case, killed by boat traffic,” stated Bakke-Jensen.&nbsp;

Considering the dangers, Bakke-Jensen was asked if the whale should be kept in captivity.

“We have always communicated that the whale in question is a free-living animal and we see no reason to capture it and put it behind barriers,” he stated.

However, now that the whale is “in a more vulnerable area and access to food may be limited, we will consider different measures. But it is too early to say anything concrete about that yet," added Bakke-Jensen.&nbsp;

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The movement&nbsp;of the whale will be monitored by the Directorate of Fisheries as it&nbsp;hopes it turns around after reaching the end of the Oslofjord.

In 2019, experts stated that Hvaldimir is a trained animal, and according to evidence, the animal has come from Russia.&nbsp;

Marine biologist at Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries Jorgen Ree Wiig said that the harness appeared “specially made” and had “mounts for GoPro cameras on each side of it.”

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The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has appealed to people to “avoid contact" with a beluga whale so that the animal doesn't suffer any injuries accidentally or lose its life.

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has appealed to people to “avoid contact" with a beluga whale so that the animal doesn't suffer any injuries accidentally or lose its life. The whale, who has been given the nickname "Hvaldimir", received international fame in 2019 after someone spotted it wearing a specially made harness which had mounts for a camera. The discovery made experts believe that the whale is likely to have been trained by the Russian military. Since 2019, the whale has “been travelling along the Norwegian coast” and stopping at some point along the way, as per the directorate, which further stated that Hvaldimir “tends to stay at farms where it has been able to catch fish, grazing on surplus feed.” Hvaldimir is famous for following boats and playing with people on board. The whale, which is Norway's protected species, stays in inner Oslofjord, said the directorate. This “means that it has arrived in a very densely populated area, and the risk that the whale may be injured due to human contact has become significantly greater,” it further stated. ALSO READ | Norway slams Sweden for accidently dropping its research rocket Whale suffered minor injuries, says fisheries director Fisheries Director Frank Bakke-Jensen, in a statement on Wednesday, said that “so far there have only been minor incidents where the whale has suffered minor injuries, primarily from contact with boats.” However, he appealed to people to maintain their distance, “even though the whale is tame and used to being around people.” “We especially encourage people in boats to keep a good distance to avoid the whale being injured or, in the worst case, killed by boat traffic,” stated Bakke-Jensen. Considering the dangers, Bakke-Jensen was asked if the whale should be kept in captivity. “We have always communicated that the whale in question is a free-living animal and we see no reason to capture it and put it behind barriers,” he stated. However, now that the whale is “in a more vulnerable area and access to food may be limited, we will consider different measures. But it is too early to say anything concrete about that yet," added Bakke-Jensen. WATCH | Soldiers from France, Germany, UK and U.S. participating in Norway-led winter exercise The movement of the whale will be monitored by the Directorate of Fisheries as it hopes it turns around after reaching the end of the Oslofjord. In 2019, experts stated that Hvaldimir is a trained animal, and according to evidence, the animal has come from Russia. Marine biologist at Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries Jorgen Ree Wiig said that the harness appeared “specially made” and had “mounts for GoPro cameras on each side of it.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Norway asks people to keep distance from ‘spy’ whale to ensure animal’s safety

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