The da vinci® robotic assistant concept from Intuitive Surgical Inc has been around for over a decade now, but it still never ceases to impress. In this video clip, which is appearing all over online media, watch the device expertly peeling a grape.
A urology fellow at Southmead Hospital and the North Bristol NHS Trust in Bristol, UK, performs the intricate and delicate procedure using a specially designed display and teleoperation controls, he is able to see both real and virtual representations of what the robot’s instruments are doing. The robot has four arms, three of which can hold instruments like a scalpel or surgical scissors. The fourth arm carries an endoscopic camera with two lenses, which gives him a stereoscopic view of the action.
It’s tempting to think of the surgeon controlling the device, but equally enthralling to believe that the device is doing it on its own.
Since its first da Vinci System shipment, Intuitive Surgical has expanded its installed base to more than 1,450 academic and community hospital sites, while sustaining growth in excess of 25% annually.
View the video on the New Scientist website here.
Source: New Scientist, Intuitive Surgical
published: October 7, 2011 in: Technology