Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center announced today that it has become the first in the Midwest to treat patients with the advanced imaging capabilities of Loop-X®, a new mobile imaging robot. 

This new imaging system will help Mercy Health physicians provide advanced care while improving surgery for patients, creating a new benchmark in automation and robotics. In addition to Loop-X, staff members will be using the advanced technological capabilities of Cirq®, a new robotic arm. Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center surgeons plan to use these cutting-edge robotic technologies for a variety of spine and neurosurgical procedures.

“We are proud to be the first in the Midwest to offer this new technology for spine and brain procedures,” said Chase Collins, director of neurosciences at Mercy Health – Springfield. “With our digital spine and neurosurgery program, we can deliver the most advanced, data-enhanced spine surgeries close to home.”

Loop-X allows Mercy Health surgeons to perform precision intraoperative imaging of very large, bony structures like the pelvis, while also being able to narrow the radiation beam to treat very small structures like the cervical spine. Surgery can be streamlined, as patients do not have to be moved to be scanned with Loop-X – the device robotically aligns to the most critical patient anatomy.

Meanwhile, the Cirq® robotic arm is controlled by the surgeons for your procedure, moving and locking into place to guide and stabilize surgical steps. By having an extra software-driven hand, your doctor can focus on all the surgical steps with both human hands. The system works in sync with other devices in the operating room, moving with the procedure and on the surgeon’s command to enhance the surgical experience. 

“It doesn’t replace our expertise or skill; it enhances them so that we can be more accurate and efficient in surgery, all with the goal of making the outcome for patients better,” neurosurgeon Dr. Kamal Woods explained. 

Using the new mobile imaging robot and robotic surgical hand provides many benefits compared to traditional surgeries – less post-operative pain, less scarring, fewer complications, faster recovery and a shortened hospital stay.

Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center plans to expand clinical indications to serve broader patient populations, as new capabilities are incorporated into the Loop-X mobile imaging robot. Learn more about the spine and neurosurgical care we offer at Mercy Health – Springfield by visiting mercy.com