Video on creating the telesurgery link for laparoscopic mentoring in Tanzania

Click here to see the video featuring the creation of a telesurgical video teaching link for teaching laparoscopic surgery in KCMC, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Colin Dobbyne - video link to KCMC

St Marys Hospital - Trauma theatres choose ORTV

St Mary's theatres have just re-opened the trauma theatres after having been completely refurbished. For the design and build of the new theatres they chose OR Networks and Howorth Air Technology - to provide a turnkey solution packed with features.

In addition to the trademark Howorth canopy, the theatres have been built with the leading ORTV theatre video communications system from OR Networks that strategically places LCD monitors around the theatre on positionable arms. The desired image (endoscope, light camera, c-arm or PACs) is chosen for each screen via the system control touch screen that is integrated into the surgeons panel alongside a 42" LCD staff viewing monitor.

The ORTV system also provides two-way audio and video teaching links to the 9th floor seminar room and a video intercom to the porters.

more pictures....

Work Continues at Kiimanjaro

Colin Dobbyne had just returned from his third trip to KCMC, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

The principle purpose was to firther enhance and improve the video system from theatres and it was encouraging t

o learn that now over 100 laparoscopic cases have been performed.

Dr Kondo, the leading surgeon at KCM for laparoscopy described how the video link was essential to provide him and his team the confidence to recommend laparoscopic procedures to his patients - this was great news to prove the success of the project.

In addition, the delegates visited the

orphans at Mdawi for the official opening of the new Amani Nursery School.

Colin Dobbyne is running various fund raising events to buy the orphans a minibus, they are currently without any form of transpor

t, please email c.dobbyne@or-tv.net if you wish to make a donation or sponsor a child.

ORTV fits out new MAJAX Centre at Gledhow Wing

OR Networks have designed and installed a unique teaching environment for the MAJAX and Education Centre in the New gledhow Wing, St James Hospital, Leeds.

The centre features a versatile suite of presentation rooms that may be used independently or opened out into one large presentation area.

twin projector screens provide a multitude of display options for live video, pre-recorded presentations, video links into theatres and simulation areas and video-conferencing.

The new centre links directly into the ORTV digital video network that integrates seamlessly with all existing ORTV systems in the LIMIT/LISTA centre, the Bexley Wing theatres and the original system at LGI that is still operational.

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Minister uses ORTV surgical Video Link

17 DECEMBER 2009

International Development Minister Mike Foster visited Hexham General Hospital to see the ORTV LYNX system that uses unique and pioneering technology to help save lives in one of the world’s poorest countries.

The LYNX surgical video phone allows surgeons in Kilimanjaro to send their live endoscopic surgeons to a a team of experts in Northumbria for advise and tele-mentoring.

The LYNX system from ORTV was especially designed and built by OR Networks to accommodate the poor and fluctuating internet service to send live images with two video and audio. Typical video telephone systems fail to work due to the extreme variations in service and sustained periods of low bandwidth. By a variety of optimisation techniques and an agreement with TTCL (Tanzanian Telecommunications Company Limited), OR Networks are able to provide a reliable service for weekly laparoscopic procedures.

Since the installation of the first sytstem, over 100 cases have now been performed via keyhole surgery and Dr Kondo, the head of GI surgery at KCMC said that the video system played a vital role in giving him and his team the confidence to recommend laparoscopic surgery to their patients.

OR Networks win Manhagen Park Klinik, Hamburg

After several months of thoroughly evaluating the proposals from the main providers of integrated theatres, Manahagen Park Klinik have awarded the contract to OR Networks for 10 ORTV enabled operating theatres in association with ConMed Linvatec.

Colin Dobbyne: We are delighted with this contract award since it was in the face of fierce competition and after many meetings, site visits and customer discussions. I think the thorough evaluation process was essential given the number of users and support requirements of the hospital, it was important to the hospital to retain freedom of choice with respect to the endoscopic equipment deployed.

Key factors in the final decision were the open architecture* nature of the ORTV system, and the track record of OR Networks (having previously installed systems in Germany - Kiel, Pforzheim) and with installations across Europe (France, Italy, Belgium and Scandinavia).

*open system architecture means that ORTV does not restrict itself to any one brand of endoscopic device and is compatible with endoscopic cameras from any supplier. Closed systems restrict user choice to own-brand devices that have been designed as a whole and restrict future expansion and modification.

Kilimanjaro Hospital Video Linked to Northumbria Healthcare

OR Networks was approached by the charitable link team from Northumbria Healthcare to assist in their development of laparoscopic surgery in Tanzania, the benefits of which are numerous.  To assist in this process we were asked a fairly simple question:  "can we receive high quality video, transmitted from a hospital in kilimanjaro, to our offices in Northumbria, that would be of sufficient quality for us to assist and mentor?" 

Whilst this is a fairly simple question, there are a number of reasons why an immediate response would have been no. Cost prohibits all normal methods of transmitting high quality realtime video, such as ISDN lines or satellite uplinks.  The only affordable medium was the public internet and this is fraught with poor infrastructure, particularly in East Africa: lack of ban

dwidth (the quantity of information that can be sent per second); latency (the time it takes to travel from one destination to another) and congestion (everybody wanting to have what little bandwidth there is).

Last year we proved the principle of transmitting from Africa to England via the internet but there were still significant obstacles to overcome, therefore, the question then was:  is there actually any available equipment that could manage poor infrastructure, low bandwidth, long latency and heavy congestion?

The short answer was again no:  most cheap video conferencing systems were poor quality and fragile (nobody had managed to even use Skype or NetMeeting successfully in Tanzania for any length of time); most expensive high quality video systems would fall over at the limited resources.

The answer was to design and build our own system that utilised varying internet availability, reliability and quality; was stripped down to the basics so that every bit of bandwidth was used to transmit video and to work with TTCL (Tanzanian Telecommunications Company) to advise them on what our requirements would be and how they could improve the service as best they could.

The TTCL company has really done a great job and have improved and are continuing to improve the infrastructure of the country, so much so, that they now plan to run fibre optic cable (more speed and bandwidth) from the outlying towns to the main hubs  and run a marine fibre to South Africa to replace the current satellite link that accounts for 2/3 second delay.

One final problem remained, how can we get personnel in Tanzania to effectively run the equipment with limited IT skills.  The answer was to include a remote control application that allows us from our offices, or staff at Northumbria to take control of the transmission system in Kilimanjaro.  All they need to do is switch it on.

The final days of the trip proved the design to be a total success and we reached our bench marks by transmitting full resolution images to Northumbria into the Surgical Skills institute in Hexham.   The system includes two way audio and return video from Northumbria:  this facilitates live tuition,  nurses forums and operative training in addition to the original design brief to facilitate surgical tele-mentoring.

Kilimanjaro Expeditions and Climbing

I am using the company blog to promote a fascinating individual that I met during my visit to Tanzania (see blog entries for telementoring from KCMC Hospital and the Mdawi Orphanage).

His name is Faustin Meela, and is from the Chagga tribe that live on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, mainly as farmers. As is the custom with the Chagga tribe of Kilimanjaro, Faustin's father left the land divided between Faustin and his 2 brothers. The smaller piece of land was not sufficient to support him and his family and so he went to work in the Tanzanite mines for 7 years, a hard and dangerous job: Faustin lost many friends to rockfalls and suffocation.

His dream was to one day own his own lodge and run expeditions to climb Kilimanjaro (5895m) and safaris to Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro, so he saved as much money as he could and started the foundations of his lodge. After losing too many friends and fearing for his own safety, he left the mines to work as a National Park Ranger for 5 years until his friend and colleague was shot by poachers, at which point he decided to move back home and start climbing for an expedition company.

After 27 years of hard work, saving and building his lodge in his spare time, Faustin opened for business this year, only to be confronted with the largest downturn in tourism in Tanzania.

I visited his lodge on my last day and he is now in the process of building a road that requires navigating a stream and cutting a swathe through 100 metres of volcanic rock to a height of 10 metres.

His story is totally inspiring and he deserves to succeed which is why I have offered to help him promote his business. Faustin was my perfect guide during my stay: he took me to the orphanage and helped with the children and then arranged an unforgettable safari to the 3 main parks. He is quiet and unassuming and is totally reliable and I could not imagine anyone better or safer to take you on safari or to climb kilimanjaro.

So if you fancy an unforgettable "real" safari or hike to Kili, please contact Faustin at

contact@kili-expedition.com or via myself at c.dobbyne@or-tv.net.