Intuitive Surgical, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of the da Vinci Surgical Systems. The company’s da Vinci Surgical Systems consist of a surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart, a high performance vision system and proprietary wristed instruments.
The da Vinci Surgical System controls Intuitive Surgical endoscopic instruments, including rigid endoscopes, blunt and sharp endoscopic dissectors, scissors, scalpels, forceps/pickups, needle holders, endoscopic retractors, electrocautery, ultrasonic cutters, and accessories during a range of surgical procedures. The da Vinci Surgical System seamlessly translates the surgeon’s natural hand movements on instrument controls at the console into corresponding micro-movements of instruments positioned inside the patient through small puncture incisions, or ports. Its da Vinci Surgical System provides the surgeon with the intuitive control, range of motion, fine tissue manipulation capability and 3-D vision characteristic of open surgery, while simultaneously allowing the surgeon to work through the small ports of MIS.
Products and Services
The company’s principal products include the da Vinci Surgical System and various multiple-use EndoWrist instruments and accessories.
da Vinci Surgical System
The company’s da Vinci Surgical System is comprised of the following components:
Surgeon’s Console: The da Vinci Surgical System allows the surgeon to operate while seated at an ergonomic console viewing a 3-D image of the surgical field. The surgeon’s fingers grasp the instrument controls below the display with hands naturally positioned relative to his or her eyes.
Patient-Side Cart: The patient-side cart, which can be moved next to the operating table, holds electromechanical arms that manipulate the instruments inside the patient. Up to four arms attached to the cart can be positioned as appropriate, and then locked into place. The first two arms, one representing the left hand and one representing the right hand of the surgeon, hold its EndoWrist instruments. The third arm positions the endoscope, allowing the surgeon to easily move, zoom and rotate his or her field of vision. The fourth arm option provides additional surgical capabilities by holding an additional EndoWrist instrument as well as potentially reducing the need for an assistant surgeon.
3-D Vision System: The company's vision system includes its InSite three dimensional, or 3-D, endoscope with two separate vision channels linked to two separate color monitors. The company's vision system also incorporates its InSite image processing equipment comprised of high performance video cameras and specialized edge enhancement and noise reduction equipment. The resulting 3-D image has high resolution and contrast and no flicker or cross fading, which sometimes occurs in single monitor systems, and minimizes eye fatigue.
EndoWrist Instruments and Intuitive Accessories
The company manufactures various EndoWrist instruments, each of which incorporates wrist joints for natural dexterity, with tips customized for various surgical procedures. These EndoWrist instruments are approximately five or eight millimeters in diameter. The instruments mount onto the electromechanical arms that represent the surgeon’s left and right hands and provide the mechanical capability necessary for performing complex tissue manipulations through ports.
The company also sells various accessory products, which are used in conjunction with the da Vinci Surgical System as surgical procedures are performed. Accessory products include sterile drapes used to protect the sterile field during surgery, vision products such as replacement 3-D stereo endoscopes, camera heads, and light guides, and other miscellaneous items.
Other Products
Other products include the AESOP Endoscope Positioner, a surgical robot capable of positioning an endoscope in response to a surgeon’s commands, the ZEUS Surgical System, a robotic platform designed to improve a surgeon’s ability to perform complex surgical procedures, the HERMES Control Center, a voice activated operating room control system designed to enable a surgeon to directly control multiple operating room devices through simple verbal commands, and the SOCRATES Telementoring System, an interactive telecollaborative system allowing a surgeon to mentor and collaborate with another surgeon during an operation.
Competition
The company’s competitors include Armstrong Healthcare Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., Integrated Surgical Systems, Inc., MicroDexterity Systems, Inc., Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation, Ross-Hime Designs, Inc., Sinters SA, Terumo Medical Corporation, and Toshiba, Inc.
History
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. was founded in 1995.
