The Art of Fingertips Across 5200 km: How a Chinese Robot Cleared Heart Arteries in Xinjiang from Shanghai

In a Shanghai operating room control console, Academician Ge Junbo's fingers moved slightly on the joysticks. Simultaneously, 5200 kilometers away in Kashgar, Xinjiang, robotic arms rotated in sync, guiding a hair-thin wire through a patient's narrowed coronary artery. This wasn't a sci-fi movie scene but a real-life rescue mission that unfolded on May 28, 2024.

The Art of Fingertips Across 5200 km: How a Chinese Robot Cleared Heart Arteries in Xinjiang from Shanghai

On the morning of May 28, 2024, 53-year-old Uyghur patient Abdulla lay on the operating table in the catheterization lab of Kashgar Second People's Hospital in Xinjiang. His left anterior descending coronary artery was 85% narrowed, with his left circumflex artery nearly blocked—each heartbeat carried the risk of chest pain.

Meanwhile, at Fudan University's Zhongshan Hospital remote surgery center in Shanghai, Academician Ge Junbo, Director of Cardiology and Chinese Academy of Sciences member, watched four high-definition screens. His hands gripped two precision joysticks, preparing to perform an unprecedented procedure—crossing 5200 kilometers to perform coronary intervention for this Xinjiang patient.

"Begin puncture," Ge's voice transmitted clearly to Kashgar via 5G network. The local medical team immediately coordinated, establishing vascular access.

01 Extreme Distance

This surgery set the world record for the longest-distance remote vascular intervention—5200 kilometers, equivalent to the straight-line distance from Shanghai to Kashgar, with signals traversing across China.

In remote surgery, latency is a deadly enemy. Even millisecond-level delays could cause operational errors leading to severe complications like vascular perforation.

To ensure surgical safety, the technical team prepared for months. They tested multiple network transmission solutions, ultimately adopting a "5G private network + fiber optic backup" dual-link design. The primary link used 5G networks, while the backup transmitted through ground fiber optics, automatically switching within 50 milliseconds if the primary link fluctuated.

"We conducted 17 simulated surgical drills with over 200 cumulative testing hours," explained the project's technical lead. "We ultimately controlled end-to-end latency under 200 milliseconds—clinically acceptable range."

This meant when Ge moved the joystick in Shanghai, Kashgar's robotic arm would respond within 0.2 seconds—almost matching human neural reflex speed.

02 Precision Control

Coronary intervention represents one of cardiology's most delicate operations. Doctors must navigate 0.36mm diameter guidewires through 2-4mm diameter vessels past narrow sections to place stents.

Any minor tremor could mean surgical failure.

The domestic remote surgical robot system featured seven-degree-of-freedom robotic arms capable of simulating all human wrist movements. More crucially, the system incorporated "motion scaling" and "tremor filtering" algorithms.

"When doctors move the joystick 1 centimeter, the robotic arm might only move 1 millimeter," an engineer explained. "This proportional scaling not only enhances precision but filters natural physiological hand tremors."

The system also integrated force feedback technology. When the robotic arm's guidewire contacted vessel walls, the joystick generated corresponding resistance, allowing doctors to "feel" tactile information from thousands of kilometers away.

This tactile feedback proved essential for determining guidewire position. In traditional interventions, doctors rely on X-ray imaging and hand sensation; in remote surgery, force feedback became the doctor's "extended nervous system."

03 Coordinated Operations

Remote surgery isn't a solo performance but a precisely coordinated operation.

In Kashgar's operating room, local cardiology director Parhat led the team managing patient-side operations—establishing vascular access, monitoring vital signs, and providing emergency intervention when needed.

"Our role resembles weapon systems officers in fighter jet rear seats," Parhat described. "While not directly piloting, we handle targeting, launching, and system monitoring."

Both teams maintained real-time communication through multi-channel HD video systems. Shanghai's control center viewed four Kashgar angles: patient overview, surgical area close-up, imaging screens, and team workflow.

Simultaneously, Kashgar's team saw Ge's operation interface and real-time guidance. This bidirectional visualization ensured complete information symmetry.

"When Academician Ge said 'advance guidewire 3 millimeters,' we saw precise displacement indicators on Kashgar screens," Parhat noted. "This coordination precision surpasses traditional remote consultation capabilities."

04 Technological Breakthrough

This surgery utilized a completely domestically developed high-end medical equipment system.

The system core featured distributed architecture control algorithms that decomposed surgical intent into coordinated robotic arm movements. Compared with international counterparts, this system achieved leading performance in latency optimization and force feedback precision.

"International systems typically show 300-500 millisecond latency, while we reduced this below 200 milliseconds," the technical lead stated. "This seemingly minor difference significantly expands safety margins in vascular interventions."

Another innovation was adaptive network compensation technology. During network fluctuations, rather than simply stopping response, the system predicted operational intent based on historical data for smooth transitions, preventing sudden robotic arm jumps.

Behind these breakthroughs lay over 200 invention patents and 5 years of preclinical research. The team completed hundreds of remote vascular procedures in animal experiments, accumulating invaluable data and experience.

The Art of Fingertips Across 5200 km: How a Chinese Robot Cleared Heart Arteries in Xinjiang from Shanghai

05 Surgical Moment

At 10:23 AM, the surgery reached its critical phase.

Ge manipulated the robotic arm, advancing the guidewire into the patient's coronary artery. High-definition screens displayed real-time angiographic images of the guidewire's progression.

"Minor resistance," Ge communicated via microphone. Adjusting the joystick angle, he navigated the guidewire through a vascular curve.

In Kashgar, Parhat's team closely monitored vital signs. The patient's blood pressure and heart rate remained stable without arrhythmic complications.

At 10:47 AM, the guidewire successfully passed the left anterior descending artery's narrowed section. Ge operated another robotic arm, delivering the pre-loaded stent to the target position.

"Deploy." The stent expanded at the narrow point, instantly restoring normal vessel diameter.

The entire stent placement process took merely 3 minutes—equivalent to on-site surgery speed. Angiography confirmed restored blood flow, marking surgical success.

06 Medical Equity

This 5200-kilometer surgery's significance extends far beyond technological breakthrough.

China has approximately 330 million cardiovascular disease patients, including over 11 million coronary heart disease cases. Premium medical resources concentrate in eastern metropolitan areas, while western regions show significant treatment disparities.

Remote surgery technology could transform this landscape.

"Through this technology, top experts' 'hands' can extend anywhere with network coverage," Ge stated post-operation. "This isn't just about performing surgery but establishing sustainable medical assistance models."

Kashgar Second People's Hospital plans to regularize remote surgery systems. Future complex cardiovascular interventions could all obtain direct Shanghai expert operation through this approach.

The system design considers different hospital tier needs. Advanced mode permits complete remote expert control, while assistant mode supports local doctors operating under remote guidance, accommodating varying technical conditions and case complexities.

In June 2024, the same system achieved another milestone—Zhongshan Hospital collaborated with Shigatse People's Hospital in Tibet to complete the plateau's first remote coronary intervention at 3650 meters altitude.

In hypoxic plateau conditions, the surgical team faced additional challenges, yet the system operated stably, proving its reliability and adaptability.

"Distance was once healthcare equity's greatest barrier," a project engineer reflected. "Now it's becoming just another number on technical specification sheets."

When robotic arms move precisely in Kashgar's operating rooms, they connect not just two cities but two previously inaccessible points on China's medical resource distribution map.