J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 3
As advances in
robotics continue
to emerge, you'll
benefit by having
plenty of options
for adding the
technology to your
facility's ORs.
"When Intuitive
launched the da
Vinci, it was the
only robot available," says Chris Schabowsky, PhD, the program
manager in applied solutions at ECRI Institute in Plymouth
Meeting, Pa. "Since then, the company has developed a few mod-
els for facilities to choose from." Several other platforms are
entering the market, and the number of companies and the vari-
ety of platforms they offer will likely surge, says Dr. Schabowsky.
He also believes robotics will continue to evolve, with a particu-
lar focus on single-site surgery and micro-instrumentation.
"Companies will work on developing smaller instruments and
smaller ports to make robotic surgery less invasive," says Dr.
Schabowsky.
In fact, one company, Virtual Incision, has raised $18 million to
submit its miniaturized robotically-assisted surgical device to the
FDA for approval. The company claims the robot can do less-
invasive abdominal procedures such as colon resection.
Finally, Dr. Schabowsky believes automated robots will perform
FUTURE INNOVATION
Revolutionary Robots Are Coming
• GROWING DEMAND More surgeons will want to use robotics as the technology
continues to emerge and new options become available.
Mayo
Clinic
