Dear Friends,
TUM is once again approaching with its 9th edition, on January 28-29th 2021, despite the recent COVID pandemic, which deeply impacted our personal and work life.
Over the past few years, we have been working to improve and sharpen the technologies for minimally invasive urologic surgery.
Starting from Hyper-Accuracy 3D reconstructions (HA3D™) from standard imaging, we explored the fields of augmented reality and mixed reality surgery, with the aim to virtually plan and intraoperatively enhance the real anatomy, maximizing the information at the disposal of the surgeon performing the intervention.
In the past editions of TUM, these two technologies, performed in a semi-automatic setting, have been widely investigated and experienced by the surgeons.
The upcoming edition of the meeting will be the stage for presenting, live and for the first time, our last great innovation: the new augmented reality platform entirely driven by artificial intelligence technology.
Indeed, with the aid given by artificial intelligence in refining precision details of the augmented reality procedures, it is nowadays possible to perform many steps of such image-guided surgery automatically, without needing any hand-assistance.
A dedicated online platform will be available, to allow people to follow the event virtually.
Indeed, the congress has evolved into a hybrid format, with some live surgeries performed on site alongside virtual contents that the participants can enjoy from home, during and after the meeting.
Together with the novelties of artificial intelligence guidance, many other technologies will be presented during the meeting.
Moreover, some broadcasted surgeries will also be performed by expert surgeons abroad: for them, the advantages given by the 3D virtual guidance will be available by remote control!
Last but not least, in order to mantain the technological and innovation standards of our congress at the highest levels, we decided to include a part of the faculty in an unattempted experience, an absolute novelty in the field of virtual meetings.
Indeed, through the use of cardboard technology, all participants from home will be given the opportunity to view their intraoperative surgical videos in 3D, as in a surgical console!
We believe that this innovative technological format of the meeting gives the attendees the possibility to overcome the distance barrier imposed by virtual meetings, maximizing the potential to enjoy a conference from home and at the same time offering quality contents in a never experienced before form.
We would like to welcome those who have decided to come back after joining us during the previous editions, and those who are new to the TUM.