The da Vinci" Surgical System is a product of Intuitive Surgical®, a company that began in November 1995. The company develops and commercializes products that are designed to provide the flexibility of open surgery while operating through tiny ports.
In May 1998, surgeons using the da Vinci" system performed what the company believes were the world's first computer-enhanced, closed-chest heart surgeries, including mitral valve repair, dissection of an internal mammary artery and grafting of a coronary artery.
Since then, surgeons using the Intuitive technology have successfully completed hundreds of cardiac, general and other types of procedures, including the world's first computer-enhanced gastro-esophageal reflux procedures.
click here for more on da Vinci
Research with da Vinci" Surgical System
Researchers at UNMC are currently working on advancement in the technology regarding the da Vinci" System. Areas of investigation include:
Comparison of surgeon skill by analytical/computational methods.
Incorporation of feedback mechanisms for given forces used by the system (i.e. haptic feedback).
Modeling the virtual stereoscopic images to validate robotic surgical training between real environment and virtual reality.
Development of training program for robotic surgery.