Help Lightning

Remote expertise through the power of merged reality

Access to this ground-breaking technology is included at no cost with an InterSurgeon clinician membership. Help Lightning allows experienced surgeons to guide and interactively assist others during operations in real-time, anywhere in the world.

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What are the benefits of Help Lightning for surgeons?

In light of the pandemic, and for the foreseeable future, the conventional ways of establishing collaborative partnerships through physical visits are not going to be possible. However, because Help Lightning allows surgeons to collaborate remotely, partnerships can still develop – and more easily than ever before. Help Lightning can be used as a tool for education, mentorship and instruction – as well as for intraoperative case management. It allows both surgical planning and real-time intraoperative advice.

How does it work?

Watch this video to learn how Help Lightning works. This shows use cases in other industries – it’s every bit as useful with surgical applications and can also be used hands-free. All you need to use Help Lightning is your smartphone and an internet connection, though it can also be used with tablets, desktop computers and smart surgical glasses.

Download a beginner’s guide to Help Lightning here: Help Lightning Basic Training

Virtual help in real-time

Help Lightning uses Merged Reality to blend two real-time video streams – e.g. that of a remote surgical expert and another surgeon that needs help – into a collaborative environment. This Merged Reality allows the expert to virtually reach out and direct real surgical procedures or training.

Help Lightning

Use your existing devices

Help Lightning runs on your existing mobile devices (iOS, Android) or a web-browser on laptop and desktop computers.

Surgeons can now provide remote assistance as though they’re working side-by-side. They can telestrate, freeze images, use hand gestures, and even add real objects into the merged reality environment.

Help Lightning Software

Be there instantly

Help Lightning is easy, fast and intuitive.

Once you’re in a merged reality call with a colleague or customer, simply tap the mode to change how you interact. Choose whether you’re giving or receiving help, and start collaborating in seconds. Help Lightning’s unique Merged Reality can add missing visual cues, gestures, and non-verbal communication methods to any session.

Help Lightning
Help Lightning

Using Help Lightning with smart surgical glasses

Take Help Lightning to the next level by pairing it with smart glasses. This innovation allows the wearer to benefit from the assistance of AI or a third-party while performing surgery. When used in conjunction with Help Lightning, smart glasses mean that another surgeon can see exactly what you are seeing and what you’re doing – and also have their hands superimposed over your field of view.

There are a number of models available from different manufacturers including VUZIX, Zebra, and RealWear.

The Advantage of Remote Expertise

Studies show that adding gestures and nonverbal clues substantially improves the speed of understanding. Furthermore, nonverbal cues are 430% more effective than verbal cues and nonverbal cues make Help Lightning’s combination of verbal and nonverbal communication up to 10 times more effective.

Sources: Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, British Journal of Clinical Psychology

Join InterSurgeon today and use Help Lightning for free

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Mekbeb Chere, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology

Mekbeb Chere, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology

Urological Surgeon

Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, Ethiopia

User

Location information

Hospital address

Jimma University Medical Center MVJ4+VCX, Jimma, Ethiopia Jimma Oromia - Ethiopia

Hospital type

University-affiliated Public

Hospital description

Third-Level Hospital (Referral)

Hospital website

http://www.ju.edu.et

This is a teaching hospital

Description

I work as an Assistant professor of Urology and give lectures to medical students and General Surgery trainees. I also work as a a urologist attending Clinics, Performing and teaching Urological procedures. I'm interested in Urolithiasis / Advanced Endourology and Laparoscopic surgery, hoping to do a fellowship training in these field. I'm a 32 years old energetic and motivated surgeon trying my best to increase awareness and improve the overall Urological service of the region and the country.
I work with two other Urologists at the University, we face many challenges in provision of current standard treatments due to shortage of equipment. I personally like to figure out ways of providing services with minimizing expenses for the patients and the Hospital. Since my arrival about a year ago, i have played a major role in making sure our Department receives the necessary attention from the University. As Such we were able to Establish a setup Equipped for basic Endoscopic surgeries like TURP, Ureterorenoscopy and Lithotripsy, simple Laparoscopic procedures like Renal Cyst excisions.
My goal is to advance myself in advanced minimally invasive procedures by getting the necessary trainings and to serve this poor community by advancing Urology services and proucing many more Urologists to reach the demand of our rapidly growing population.

Member information

Name

Mekbeb Chere Enawgaw

Member type

Clinical department with teaching programme

Specialty

Urological Surgeon

Subspecialties

  • General urological surgeon

Languages spoken

  • English
  • Amharic

Professional affiliations / memberships

  • IVUmed
  • BAUS
  • Urolink

Social profiles

Current and past partnerships

Has current partners or past partnership experience in these countries

  • Belgium
  • Switzerland
  • India
  • United States of America
  • Germany
  • Netherlands

Surgery department has sent two General Surgeons for GI oncology Fellowship to VLIR Belgium universities using the partnership Jimma University has with these Universities. Two of our department members did their fellowship training in pediatric surgery at Ludwing-Maxmillian University (Germany), using similar collaborations with Jimma University. One Surgeon recieved Hepatobiliary surgery fellowship at Apollo Hospital (Bangalore, India). Two plastic Surgeons were trained in collaboration with Brown University (USA). GO-STAR foundation in collaboration with the cantonal hospital of Lucerne and the University Hospital of Basel (Switzerland) has been a fruitful partnership, they provide a huge support to the Orthopedics and Trauma surgery Unit.

Conditions treated

  • Urethral stricture (reconstruction)
  • Stone surgery
  • Transurethral resection of prostate
  • Laparoscopic surgery
  • Major reconstruction surgery (other than urethral stricture)
  • Major cancer surgery

Equipment used

  • Rigid cystoscope
  • Flexible cystoscope
  • Bipolar transurethral resectoscope [Storz]
  • Unipolar transurethral resectoscope [Storz]
  • Rigid ureteroscope
  • Flexible ureteroscope
  • Stone fragmentation device
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