Robotic telesurgery: first cross-border demonstration between France and Germany with haptic feedback over 5G and Wi-Fi 6 networks

At the 2025 meeting of the Surgical Robotics Society (SRS), held in Strasbourg from July 16 to 20, Dr. Alain Garcia, surgeon and researcher at IHU Strasbourg, and Johannes Horsch, representing the Fraunhofer IPA Institute (Germany), presented a unique comparison between 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technologies for image-guided telesurgery procedures with haptic feedback.

The study, unveiled on July 18, focused on a procedure involving robot-assisted, image-guided percutaneous needle implantation on a mannequin. It was conducted between two hybrid operating rooms located 115 kilometers apart, one in Strasbourg and the other in Mannheim, connected by a secure VPN connection.

The system was based on:

• A robotic arm equipped with a force detection motor to provide haptic feedback to the surgeon,
• Remote planning and control via ROS2 and OpenIGTLink standards,
• Local supervision at the patient site to ensure real-time safety.

The results are promising:

• All procedures were successfully completed, both on a private 5G network and Wi-Fi 6,
• Latency times remained within an acceptable range for remote surgery (approximately 42 ms on 5G and 50 ms on Wi-Fi 6).
• Integration into the medical workflow proved seamless.

This collaboration is the first demonstration of telesurgery between France and Germany based on next-generation wireless networks, offering concrete prospects for a future where connectivity will expand access to specialized remote care.

Learn more about the project: www.ipa.fraunhofer.de

A new breakthrough in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: mAI Companion®, AI for echoendoscopy.

At the Manchester Advanced Endoscopy Symposium – EUS/ERCP 2025, Dr. Leonardo Sosa Valencia, international expert and director of echoendoscopy courses at the IHU Strasbourg, presented an exclusive preview of mAI Companion®, a new AI-based tool to assist in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Developed by the German company Medi-Globe Technologies GmbH, in close collaboration with the joint venture iGlobe Scientific founded with the IHU Strasbourg, mAI Companion® represents a real revolution for clinicians. Designed to be easy to use, fast, and reliable, this intelligent assistant analyzes echoendoscopy images in real time and assists physicians in the early detection of pancreatic lesions.

“Thanks to this innovation, we hope to take a major step forward in the fight against pancreatic cancer, where the quality of early diagnosis remains one of the main challenges,” says Dr. Sosa Valencia, who is also involved in several translational research projects combining AI, navigation, and advanced imaging.“

A strategic partnership against pancreatic cancer

mAI Companion® is a clinical decision support tool designed by and for echoendoscopy specialists. It aims to transform the screening and management of pancreatic diseases. It is the result of a research project initiated in 2021 by the IHU Strasbourg with the decisive support of the ARC Foundation for Cancer Research. The research prototype developed by IHU Strasbourg was transferred in 2023 to iGlobe Scientific, a joint venture created by IHU Strasbourg and Medi-Globe Technologies to develop a commercial product.

The rapid development of mAI Companion® was made possible by the close collaboration between medical expertise, cutting-edge research, and technological innovation. The upcoming commercialization of this medical device should strengthen the arsenal of gastroenterologists in Europe and beyond.

A driving force for the IHU Strasbourg

Since its creation, the IHU Strasbourg has placed care, research, innovation, and training at the heart of its mission. Through international programs such as the ITEC course, the center trains practitioners from around the world in the most advanced techniques of therapeutic echoendoscopy every year.

Today, the IHU reaffirms its commitment to advancing the medicine of tomorrow through ambitious partnerships and disruptive technological solutions that benefit patients.

To learn more about mAI Companion®:
Discover the tool on the Medi-Globe website

To learn more about iGlobe Scientific:
Read our article on the inauguration

To learn more about the ITEC course:
ITEC course page – IHU Strasbourg

On June 12, 2025, during the FORCE Foundation Awards Ceremony for Innovation and Research in Health, seven projects were recognized for their potential to transform the healthcare system. Among them, the FAST-Tx project, led by the Strasbourg University Hospital Institute, was hailed as a potential major breakthrough in the field of thoracic oncology.

An innovative patient pathway for personalized lung cancer treatment

FAST-Tx offers a paradigm shift in the care pathway for patients with suspicious lung nodules: diagnosis and intervention in less than 24 hours.

This integrated approach is based on a completely original technological and organizational ecosystem that will leverage synergies between world-class medical and surgical expertise, unparalleled clinical infrastructure, and innovations from companies.

The project illustrates the IHU Strasbourg’s strong commitment to developing image-guided, minimally invasive surgical pathways enhanced by robotics and artificial intelligence. The objective of FAST-Tx is clear: to accelerate patient care in order to increase the chances of recovery, improve the rates of complete resection of cancerous nodules, and offer a new standard of care that can be exported to other hospital facilities.

An exemplary collaborative dynamic

The project led by the IHU Strasbourg brings together key partners:

• The thoracic surgery center and the diagnostic and therapeutic interventional bronchial endoscopy department of the Strasbourg University Hospitals,
• Visible Patient Lab, the leading online laboratory for 3D modeling of medical images for the creation of digital twins,
• ASARIA – Assisted Surgery by Augmented Reality & AI, which has developed an augmented reality device for pre- and intraoperative assistance in interventional procedures.

Led by Prof. Christian Debry (Director General of the IHU Strasbourg), with Prof. Pierre-Emmanuel Falcoz (thoracic surgery), Dr. Cezar Matau (bronchial endoscopy), Luc Soler (Visible Patient Lab), and Bernard Dubois (Asaria), the FAST-Tx team shares the same vision of a new generation of precise and personalized minimally invasive procedures. This synergy between clinical excellence, cutting-edge technologies, and hospital engineering demonstrates the ability of local stakeholders to innovate together for the benefit of patients.

A trophy that symbolizes a vision for the future

Awarded by the FORCE Foundation, which supports the emergence of innovative solutions to improve healthcare in the future, this trophy rewards boldness, scientific rigor, and collective commitment. The FAST-Tx project embodies a concrete response to the challenges of oncology, placing medical time, precision, and patient well-being at the heart of the system.

More info:

Article from Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace (DNA), published on June 16, 2025:
The Force Foundation supports seven new research projects in Alsace

Fondation Force

The IHU Strasbourg is delighted with this recognition and will continue to work alongside its partners to advance medicine that is increasingly rapid, personalized, and efficient.

On November 25, 2024, IHU Strasbourg and Medi-Globe Technologies GmbH inaugurated iGlobe Scientific, an innovative Joint Venture dedicated to the fight against pancreatic cancer. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI), this ambitious project promises to transform the early diagnosis of this disease, offering new hope to patients and clinicians alike

A public health emergency: earlier detection to save more lives

With over 14,000 new cases and 11,500 deaths every year in France, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most feared cancers. Its late diagnosis considerably reduces the chances of survival, surgery being the only curative treatment at an early stage. iGlobe Scientific intends to respond to this emergency with real-time AI technology, designed to assist gastroenterologists during echo-endoscopy examinations, essential for detecting early lesions.

Pioneering technological advances

Under the leadership of Dr. Leonardo Sosa-Valencia of the IHU Strasbourg, the APEUS-IA project marked a key milestone. In partnership with the CAMMA  (Computational Analysis and Modeling of Medical Activities) team at the University of Strasbourg, AI-based prototypes have already been validated in real-life conditions, offering reliable assistance in identifying pancreatic lesions.

An ecosystem conducive to innovation

Based in Strasbourg, iGlobe Scientific benefits from an exceptional environment. Supported by the Region Grand Est, the Eurométropole de Strasbourg and players such as Grand E-Nov+ and ADIRA, the Joint Venture benefits from the strategic proximity of the Nextmed Medical Technology Campus, a cluster dedicated to medical technologies.

Professor Christian Debry, General Director of the IHU Strasbourg, comments: “The integration of iGlobe Scientific within the IHU strengthens the synergy between our research, innovation and clinical teams. Strasbourg, with its Nextmed campus, is an ideal breeding ground for the development of cutting-edge solutions.”

Dr. Markus Schönberger, Director of Business Development at Medi-Globe, adds, “We chose Strasbourg for its clinical excellence, its dynamic AI ecosystem and its pool of innovative talent.”

Concrete benefits for patients

Echo-endoscopy is a complex but crucial technique for detecting early signs of pancreatic cancer. With iGlobe Scientific, clinicians will have a real-time digital assistant at their disposal, improving the accuracy of diagnoses and increasing the chances of rapid and appropriate management.

A project supported by major institutions

This innovative project was made possible thanks to €772,000 in funding from the ARC Fondation for cancer research and the involvement of regional partners. François Dupré, Managing Director of the ARC Foundation, emphasizes, “Supporting initiatives like APEUS-IA is essential to improving early cancer detection and saving lives.”

Towards a promising future

With iGlobe Scientific, IHU Strasbourg and Medi-Globe are paving the way for precision medicine, where early detection becomes accessible, enabling better-adapted and, ultimately, more curative treatments. This initiative marks a decisive step forward in the fight against cancer, for the benefit of patients and clinicians alike.

A Joint Venture supported by

The MEDITWIN consortium was officially announced on December 11, 2023, in the presence of the French President and renowned partners such as Dassault Systèmes, seven University Hospital Institutes, Nantes University Hospital, Inria, and associated startups. MEDITWIN aims to introduce personalized virtual twins for organs, metabolism and cancer tumors to improve diagnosis and medical care. This ambitious project will be detailed at the PariSanté Campus event on Thursday December 14, in the presence of Industry Minister Roland Lescure.

The MEDITWIN project will focus on seven new medical practices in the fields of neurology, cardiology and oncology, with the creation of seven “virtual health products“. These advances will be deployed on a sovereign industrial cloud platform. Drawing on the global expertise of its partners, including Dassault Systèmes, Nantes University Hospital, and startups such as inHEART, Codoc, Qairnel, and Neurometers, MEDITWIN is building on the success of virtual twins in other industries to revolutionize healthcare.

The five-year project (2024-2029) will receive financial support from the French government as part of France 2030. MEDITWIN aims to industrialize, clinically validate and standardize the use of virtual twins in the medical field. These advances promise to improve the efficiency of care, the quality of multidisciplinary decisions, and the effectiveness and safety of medical practices and interventions. By establishing standards of care in the form of virtualized experiences, MEDITWIN aspires to become a global benchmark for quality of care and to foster advances in medical science.

Prof. Didier Mutter, CEO, IHU Strasbourg
« Digital twins will be essential elements in the medicine of the future, as they will enable treatments to be simulated in order to provide patients with the most beneficial results possible. MEDITWIN is an extraordinary project in terms of its ambition and the challenges to be met, and it’s also a first for the IHU France alliance to bring together on the same project a multidisciplinary biomedical research power unrivalled anywhere in the world. For the IHU Strasbourg, it will be a powerful powerful boost to improve for improving the minimally invasive management of metastatic colorectal cancer, in close collaboration with two of its historical founders, Inria and the University Hospitals of Strasbourg. »

Read the press release of 11/12/2023 (in French): https://www.3ds.com/fr/newsroom/press-releases/meditwin-launch