Surgical simulation has a widely recognized potential to improve the training of surgeons, yet faces many technical and market challenges. A simulation system based on an adaptation of the da Vinci surgical system already owned by the Army at Walter Reed, capable of open as well as minimally invasive surgery simulation, and developed by Intuitive Surgical, a potential user of simulation technology (not just a promoter) would address many of these challenges. Because the da Vinci system was designed to emulate open surgery, the da Vinci master has all the degrees of freedom necessary for an open surgery simulator. Intuitive will leverage synergies with millions of dollars of past R&D investment, hundreds of person-years of prior work, and a collaboration with SimSurgery AS to produce a demonstration simulator coupled with the da Vinci surgeons console by the end of the Phase I. Intuitive will use its unique combined role as a medical device company using simulation to meet training requirements as well as a technology provider to pull simulation technology through to its surgeon customers and cut a path for other simulation applications to gain entry into hospitals.
Benefits: Surgical simulation has the potential to increase the speed and quality of surgeon training while reducing surgeon errors and improving patient outcomes. Simulation can also speed the adoption of new surgical procedures and devices. The proposed project would integrate a surgical simulator with the da Vinci surgical system, providing an avenue for simulation companies to sell their software into hospitals and medical schools, and accelerating the pace of adoption, and Intuitive Surgical's revenues from da Vinci procedures.
Keywords: surgery simulation, surgical robotics, haptic
