Problem to solve and market to address
The surgical treatment of common disorders such as morbid obesity and gastro-esophageal reflux is the main target of the project. Morbid obesity affects 20% of adults in Europe and symptomatic reflux disease affects 30-40% of the adult population, 5% of whom require surgery because of failure of medical therapy. Only in the USA 220,000 operations for morbid obesity were performed in 2006.

European priority
ARAKNES aims to improve the quality of life of a large number of European citizens, with a major impact on the healthcare systems, in terms of hospitalization time and costs, and general health management.

Current solutions
Laparoscopic surgery is the only surgical treatment available currently. For some patients with additional diseases (such as diabetic people), the ARAKNES treatment with its endoluminal access in sedation conditions can be the only possible surgical treatment.

Why ARAKNES now
Currently, it is possible to observe a real convergence among: 1) well developed and accepted laparoscopic techniques (the first minimally invasive intervention was in the year 1987); 2) a 20-year old tradition in robotic and computer assisted surgery; 3) a mature development of micro-nano- and biotechnologies; 4) a trend to “wireless”, “wearable”, “ingestible”. All these enabling conditions open the possibility to conceive a total micro-robotic based smart operating system for advanced endoluminal surgery, paving the way to a disruptive step in endoluminal techniques and towards NOTES (Natural Orifices Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery. See also “Turning Surgery Inside Out”, The Economist: Technology Quarterly, June 9th 2007).

Why ARAKNES with this Consortium
The objectives and impact of the ARAKNES proposal are very broad and ambitious, so that their achievements require a project in the format of an IP and a strong Consortium with complementary technical and clinical skills and track record. The ARAKNES Consortium is a unique blend of European pioneers in all the involved disciplines (surgery, robotics, information technologies, micro- and nano-technologies) which have the vision, the commitment and the capabilities to implement ARAKNES successfully in terms of scientific innovation, industrial demonstrations and, ultimately, clinical application.