Robotic Technology

InTouch Health of Santa Barbara, CA and ISGR have developed a partnership to integrate InTouch Health's Remote Presence platform into the da Vinci Surgical System. The technology will enable surgeons located in different geographies to perform remote surgical proctoring, training and collaboration. The incorporation of the two systems should allow for more efficient means of training surgeons. The Remote Presence System, produced by InTouch enables a remotely based surgeon to project his presence into an operating room where a surgeon is performing a da Vinci surgical procedure. Using a high speed Internet connection, the system provides high quality, real-time audio and video allowing the remote surgeon to effectively view the surgery from multiple cameras while interacting with the surgeon and operating staff. "The RP-7 robot instantly brings specialists to hospitals across the globe in need of training and expertise on surgical procedures that they might not otherwise have access to," commented Dr. Yulun Want, Chairman and CEO of InTouch Health.


Accuray(ARAY) manufactures Cyberknife, a targeted radiation machine useful for all kinds of radiation treatments that can track moving tumors and spare nearby tissue, making it a popular tool for prostate and lung cancers. The Cyberknife is mounted on a robotic arm and controlled by computer. It allows physicians to closely target tumors while the robotic arm tracks the slight
movements of tumors during treatment, thus reducing the additional radiation that hits nearby parts of the body.

FreeHand is Prosurgics' next generation robotic camera holder. It was selected by the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) as their Innovation of the year, 2008. The Free-Hand laparoscopic camera holder is the first of Prosurgics' new generation of robotics, designed to bring the benefits of clear visualization and direct camera control within the reach of surgeons in every laparoscopic surgical unit. Bill Perry, President of Prosurgics' newly formed US organization believes that, "FreeHand is an important innovation because it has been designed to solve problems experienced by every laparoscopic surgeon, such as poor visualization and variable levels of surgical procedure assistance. FreeHand's numerous benefits and its affordability explain why we expect FreeHand to become an everyday necessity in operating rooms across the world in the coming years." Currently, FreeHand has not received FDA clearance and is limited to 'investigational' use.

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