Ekano laparoscopic surgery system brings down cost of keyhole surgery

But the cost of the laparoscopic equipment needed to carry out such procedures puts them out of reach of many hospitals in the developing world, particularly those in rural areas.

Now a concept system the size of a small suitcase could showcase the future of surgery in countries such as India and China.

The Ekano laparoscopic surgery system, developed by product design company Cambridge Consultants, could be used by surgeons in developing countries to perform operations via small incisions in the abdomen.

Conventional laparoscopy equipment can cost more than £100,000, while the Ekano system would cost around a quarter of the price, according to Rahul Sathe, head of surgical innovation for emerging markets at Cambridge Consultants.

The system creates its own WiFi hotspot that allows the surgical team to upload pre-operative images to help them plan the procedure, or to share data wirelessly with colleagues.

The portable system can be mounted on an IV pole in the operating theatre, to limit the amount of space it takes up.