Wayne State University will serve at the host site for the iSURGITEC 2009 Conference, an international event highlighting the latest advances in surgical technology, research and practice.

The conference brings together departments of surgery from across the United States and abroad to compare progress and highlight opportunities for future collaboration. In particular, iSURGITEC 2009 will feature new technologies being developed at Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center, Oakwood Hospital, Beaumont, Henry Ford Health System, the Children's Hospital of Michigan, Karmanos Cancer Institute, the University of Chicago, the City of Hope in California, and Madrid, Spain.

“The iSURGITEC 2009 conference establishes the Advanced Surgical Technologies and Innovations Initiative program squarely as a leader in surgical technology innovation,” said Donald Weaver, M.D., chairman of the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery. “The future of surgery will be increasingly minimally invasive, image guided and technology driven. The ASTII program is at the forefront of the development of new systems of surgery that are less invasive and less painful, affording quicker patient recovery. Microrobotics, new energy delivery systems designed to destroy tumors and better, real-time, in-surgery diagnosis of cancer – which are all at the heart of ASTII's present activities -- have strong potential for commercialization, small business development and the retraining of engineers in this area.”

The Advanced Surgical Technologies and Innovations Initiative is an alliance of the departments of surgery at the School of Medicine, the Detroit Medical Center (including Children’s Hospital of Michigan and the Karmanos Cancer Institute) and the WSU College of Engineering’s Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems Program. ASTII’s mission is to bring advanced surgical technologies, including those developed by medical centers affiliated with Wayne State University, such as the Oakwood and Henry Ford hospital systems, to the global marketplace.

ASTII was developed by Dr. Weaver, who also serves as chief of surgery for the Detroit Medical Center, and Gregory Auner, Ph.D., professor of Electrical and Computer Biomedical Engineering for WSU and director of the Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems Program for the university. Together they recognized the unparalleled academic and clinical benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing engineering and medical school students and faculty side-by-side in the same laboratories. Through enhanced communication and problem-solving, ASTII’s interdisciplinary scientists are shortening the time required to develop new technologies.

The conference, explained Dr. Auner, began last year when four groups of surgeons met in Madrid, Spain, to discuss the application of technology to surgical problems. They agreed to meet annually to explore opportunities for the application of technology in surgery.

Scheduled for Oct. 28 through Oct. 30, the meetings and demonstrations will take place at WSU and at the Motor City Casino and Hotel.

During the first two days of the conference, investigators will present their work and engage in discussion and collaboration. On the third day, a summary report to inform attendees about the developments at WSU and other institutions in the region will be presented. The conference is designed to be interactive so attendees can learn how advanced technologies in surgical practice can affect their institutions and patients.

“The technological focus from WSU will be from our Advanced Surgical Technology Innovation Initiatives program, which is a joint program between the WSU Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems program in the College of Engineering and the WSU Department of Surgery,” Dr. Auner said.

Keynote speakers include Gerald Moses, Ph.D., the former director of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command; Dr. Julio Mayol, M.D., Ph.D., of Madrid; Dr. Auner; Dr. Weaver; and Michael Klein, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., professor of Surgery for the School of Medicine and chief of Pediatric Surgery for Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

“We are at the threshold of a new era in surgery,” said conference co-organizer Madhu Prasad, M.D., associate professor of Surgery for the School of Medicine and co-chief of Surgical Oncology. “The iSURGITEC 2009 meeting brings together a group of visionary surgeons and scientists from around the world who are committed to lead the charge of technological innovation and define the future of surgery.”

Registration is free, but required by Oct. 16. Please visit www.astii.net or www.astii.org for online registration and the detailed agenda and conference locations. The conference is sponsored by Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Michigan and the Karmanos Cancer Institute. For questions, please e-mail iSURGITEC@gmail.com.