Bringing Surgical Robots Into the Mainsteam

The New York Times is running a story about how using robots to perform surgical operations has been transformed from a controversial dream to reality. Dr. Frederic Moll abandoned his residency for Silicon Valley and helped to revolutionize the industry. The lengthy article also discusses some of his innovations. We've discussed various robot-assisted medical procedures in the past. From the Times: "'I was struck by the size of the incision and injury created just to get inside the body,' Dr. Moll says. 'It felt antiquated.' He took the idea to his employer, Guidant, a medical device company. Guidant decided that robotic surgery was too futuristic and too risky, so Dr. Moll rounded up backers, resigned, and in 1995, founded Intuitive Surgical. The company prospered by proving that robots could deftly handle rigid surgical tools like scalpels and sewing needles through small incisions in a patient's skin."

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A day at the hospital

[Rui del-Negro]

Welcome to MS Surgery 2008 (c) Microsoft 1983-1992

> run appendix

appendix is undefined.

> run "appendix"

appendix not found.

> run "Appendix"

- Appendix script started...
- Setup complete.
- Loading scalpel vector data.
- Reticulating splines.
- Blade initialized.
- Cutting...

[Message from AutoUpdater: an update for LifeSupport.sys is available and will now be installed.]

LifeSupport.sys has performed an illegal operation and was terminated.
Restart? Y/[N]

> y

Restart? Y/[N]

> Y

LifeSupport.sys failed to start due to error:
0000 - General error

Patient has terminated unexpectedly.