>> Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly tumors in the Balearic Islands.
>> With this public-private collaboration, physicians and students will be able to train with real digital models, experiencing the resistance of tissues and different anatomical textures, as if undergoing a real procedure.
>> This program is ADEMA’s commitment to research for the new degrees in Medicine, Biomedical and Health Engineering, and Biomedicine being developed at the new Coll d’en Rabassa Campus.
The ADEMA University School and the Health Living Lab at Son Espases University Hospital have launched a pioneering international technological project that marks a milestone in medical-surgical training: a haptic (tactile) simulation system applied to virtual training for the treatment of colorectal cancer, which in the future could be extrapolated to real-life interventions in various fields of surgery.
According to ADEMA President Diego González, this technology allows the tactile sensation to be recreated during virtual medical procedures. This means that, in addition to seeing and planning a surgery or examination, professionals can “feel” in real time the resistance, texture, and consistency of the tissues they will manipulate in the human body.
In this regard, he argued that it is ADEMA’s commitment to research for the new degrees in Medicine, Biomedical and Health Engineering, and Biomedicine being developed at the new Coll d’en Rabassa Campus.
Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly types of cancer in the Balearic Islands. Its incidence has been increasing in recent decades, and it is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the Balearic Islands. It is rare before the age of fifty, but becomes more common around the age of sixty. It is a tumor that originates from abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the colon or the rectal area of the large intestine, and it usually does not present symptoms until it is very advanced.
The first clinical application of this system, following its regulation and validation for training, will be laparoscopic colorectal surgery, a key procedure for addressing this type of digestive cancer. From now on, the procedure can be trained with a remarkable degree of realism, which will improve therapeutic precision and patient safety. Furthermore, the phases for its subsequent application in other specialties have already been defined.
>> Haptic simulation allows the patient’s own tissue strength, elasticity, and texture to be perceived in virtual environments, providing greater precision and safety in medical-surgical training.
The goal of both institutions is to create a versatile simulation system customized for each patient, applicable in various fields of medicine and surgery, focusing on procedures that require high precision and intensive tactile learning.
The coordinator of the Son Espases Simulation Center and 3D Unit, Dr. Leandro Broggi, states: “This technology will significantly improve surgical planning, as we will not only see the organs, but also be able to feel them. Until now, all programs display standard images, as if they were a video game; with this system, the organ will be the patient’s own, with its anatomical characteristics. This completely changes the way we prepare for an operation.”
This improvement will represent a qualitative leap in clinical-surgical learning and will reduce complications in real-life interventions, especially in the resection of difficult-to-access tumors.
Haptic simulation, the future of medical learning
Haptic simulation combines specialized software and mechanical devices that generate tactile feedback, allowing the user to experience the physical conditions of a clinical procedure in their hands, as if performing it directly on a patient. This technology, already applied by the ADEMA University School in the field of dentistry, will now be used in other medical specialties and interventions: laparoscopic surgery, interventional radiology, spinal surgery, traumatology, ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology.
Cristina Granados, managing director of Son Espases University Hospital, emphasized: “This collaboration reflects our firm commitment to technological innovation as a driver of improved care. We promote the use of tools that not only transform medical training but also have a direct impact on the safety and well-being of our patients.”
ADEMA President Diego González further explained: “Thanks to innovative proprietary software, developed by ADEMA’s technical team, and high-precision haptic hardware, professionals will be able to work on digital twins constructed from real patient files. This allows them to plan and practice a procedure in a safe, controlled, and realistic manner before taking it to the operating room.”
Preparation with digital twins: safety and accuracy
One of the major benefits of this system is the ability to perform preclinical training on accurate three-dimensional reconstructions of the human body, generated from real patient examinations. This virtual environment allows for anticipating the specific anatomy of each case, identifying potential anatomical risks, and training with a level of detail that until now was only possible in real-life surgery.
The difference with other simulation tools is radical: haptic technology allows users to perceive bone density, tissue texture, or the consistency of a tumor. This sensory component transforms learning: it enables students or professionals to acquire much more refined and realistic skills and gain confidence before facing a real clinical case.
A strategic collaboration with an international impact
The project is being developed at the Health Living Lab, led by Luis Alegre, under the direction of Dr. Leandro Augusto Brogi Fortti, coordinator of the Simulation Center and 3D Unit at Son Espases University Hospital, together with its co-developers, Dr. Álvaro García Granero, a general surgeon specializing in coloproctology, and Marc Ferrà Canet, head of the 3D Unit and the research group at the ADEMA University School. This group is comprised of software specialist Óscar González, Dr. Pere Riutord, Dr. Carlos López, and engineer Mauricio Sáenz-Laguna.
During a series of technical meetings, progress will be made on the design of the first haptic simulator for laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and the phases for its subsequent application in other specialties have already been defined. The goal of both institutions is to create a versatile simulation system applicable to different areas of medicine and surgery, focusing on procedures that require high precision and intensive tactile learning.
A training of excellence and commitment to public health
Beyond technological development, this project has an important educational and social dimension. Practicing medicine with tactile realism simulators will allow for better-prepared professionals, reduce the number of complications in real-life procedures, and, above all, improve patient safety.
In the case of laparoscopic surgery, this technology is expected to contribute to less invasive and more effective treatment of digestive pathologies, especially colorectal cancer, one of the most common diseases in the Spanish population.
The ADEMA University School, already established as a leading center for advanced haptic simulation, is at the international forefront with this proprietary technology, unique in its cross-disciplinary application across multiple medical and surgical specialties. The combined efforts with Son Espases, the leading university hospital in the Balearic Islands, demonstrate the potential for collaboration across academic, clinical, and technological fields.