Laparoscopic or 'keyhole' surgery is about to become safer and more efficient thanks to ALF-X, a new surgical tele-robotics system with innovative tactile sensing capabilities. The system, to be presented on the 6th of June 2008 for the first time at the 17th Annual Congress of the International Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy in Bari (Italy), represents a breakthrough in tele-robotic surgery. It was developed by scientists from the JRC Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC) and the pharmaceutical company SOFAR S.p.A..

ALF-X, which stands for “Advanced Laparoscopy through Force refleCTion”, employs a range of unprecedented features covering tactile sensing capabilities, versatility, safety and ease of use for laparoscopic surgical procedures. It provides surgeons with better 'tactile sensing', the perception of forces exerted on patient tissues by robotic surgical instruments. This will help avoid breaking sutures (surgical stitching) and reduce any damage caused by the incision of trocars, tools used in keyhole operations, thus improving the quality of interventions.

What is the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen?

IPSC provides scientific and technical support to EU external relations and security related policies, particularly in the areas of global security & stability, border management, fight against terrorism and crime, as well as in nuclear, transport and energy security.