
A breakdown of the telesurgery demo on the Society of Robotic Surgical procedure. | Credit score: Intuitive
Intuitive Surgical demonstrated new telesurgery capabilities for its da Vinci 5 surgical robotic. The corporate remotely linked two surgeons to carry out a transatlantic demo on the Society of Robotic Surgical procedure (SRS) convention in Strasbourg, France.
Dr. Doug Stoddard (Peachtree Corners, Georgia) and Dr. Andrea Pakula (Strasbourg) linked remotely by means of Intuitive. The space between them spanned greater than 4,000 miles. Collectively, utilizing a dual-console da Vinci 5 system, they carried out a telesurgery process on a sophisticated tissue mannequin developed by Intuitive to duplicate the habits of dwell tissue.
Stoddard had a console alongside the da Vinci 5 affected person care and tissue mannequin. Within the demo, he handed management of surgical devices backwards and forwards remotely to Pakula, situated on the distant surgeon console. This included pressure suggestions, enabling each surgeons to really feel the forces exerted on the tissue mannequin by the devices.
Intuitive mentioned its telesurgery software program on da Vinci 5 stays in growth and investigational.
“Telesurgery is an space Intuitive has been thoughtfully innovating in for a few years,” mentioned Intuitive CEO Dave Rosa. “It’s a functionality that has the potential to enhance affected person entry to minimally invasive care, however its success relies on cautious growth in a number of areas. At Intuitive we’ve constructed robotic surgical expertise from the bottom up and our focus has at all times been affected person security and delivering actual worth—not expertise for expertise’s sake.
“Telesurgery is only one a part of our telecollaboration suite, which incorporates telementoring, teleproctoring, and twin console surgical procedure, that may assist scientific groups to enhance outcomes and scale back the entire value of care. It’s thrilling to see progress, however we’re clear there’s nonetheless a protracted approach to go.”
Iman Jeddi, senior VP and GM of Intuitive’s Multiport Platform, shall be delivering the closing keynote at RoboBusiness, which takes place Oct. 15-16 in Santa Clara, Calif. and is produced by The Robotic Report. The keynote “Redefining the Way forward for Surgical Robotics” provides a uncommon look contained in the redesign and launch of the da Vinci 5, Intuitive’s subsequent era surgical robotics system.

Society of Robotic Surgical procedure attendees watching a dwell telesurgery demo from Intuitive Surgical. | Credit score: Intuitive Surgical
With da Vinci 5, Intuitive targeted on implementing foundational computing energy to unlock a brand new era of capabilities—from pressure suggestions and superior devices to machine imaginative and prescient that powers the surgeon’s interface and delivers deeper case insights. How does a market chief rethink its flagship system in a aggressive, maturing area? And the way do you design not only for the current, however for the way forward for digital surgical procedure? This can be a dialog about self-discipline, platform considering, and staying forward in a discipline that’s rapidly catching up.
Intuitive mentioned the primary transatlantic process highlighted the feasibility of telesurgery all the way in which again in 2001. Dubbed “Operation Lindbergh,” it additionally occurred between the U.S. and Strasbourg.
“Whereas not a brand new concept for Intuitive, telesurgery requires a high-performing community infrastructure and a robotic system designed for distant collaboration to achieve success and sustainable. Our focus shouldn’t be on being first however on being rigorous in constructing the infrastructure to assist security, reliability, and constant use,” mentioned Brian Miller, Intuitive EVP and chief digital officer, who was an engineer supporting Operation Lindbergh.
This marks one other constructive growth for Intuitive. da Vinci 5, Intuitive’s latest-generation robotic, gained FDA clearance final 12 months, then picked up CE mark final week. The corporate started its industrial rollout within the U.S. this 12 months. In Could, Intuitive additionally gained FDA clearance for a brand new indication for its da Vinci single port (SP) system.
Final week the corporate introduced FDA clearance for the newest superior vitality instrumentation for da Vinci. It designed the absolutely wristed, superior bipolar electrosurgical instrument to seal, reduce, grasp and dissect tissue. The corporate says it marks the primary FDA clearance for its superior vitality devices for the transection of lymphatic vessels.