Minister uses ORTV surgical Video Link

17 DECEMBER 2009

International Development Minister Mike Foster visited Hexham General Hospital to see the ORTV LYNX system that uses unique and pioneering technology to help save lives in one of the world’s poorest countries.

The LYNX surgical video phone allows surgeons in Kilimanjaro to send their live endoscopic surgeons to a a team of experts in Northumbria for advise and tele-mentoring.

The LYNX system from ORTV was especially designed and built by OR Networks to accommodate the poor and fluctuating internet service to send live images with two video and audio. Typical video telephone systems fail to work due to the extreme variations in service and sustained periods of low bandwidth. By a variety of optimisation techniques and an agreement with TTCL (Tanzanian Telecommunications Company Limited), OR Networks are able to provide a reliable service for weekly laparoscopic procedures.

Since the installation of the first sytstem, over 100 cases have now been performed via keyhole surgery and Dr Kondo, the head of GI surgery at KCMC said that the video system played a vital role in giving him and his team the confidence to recommend laparoscopic surgery to their patients.