Da Vinci

History

Intuitive Surgical, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., was founded in 1995 by Dr. Frederic Moll, John Gordon Freund, and Robert G. Younge. The first da Vinci system, a specialized surgical robot designed for conducting minimally invasive surgery, was brought to market in 1999. In 2003, a fourth instrument arm was added. In 2006, the da Vinci S version was released, offering the surgeon high-definition vision. The da Vinci Xi model, the latest iteration, was introduced in 2014. Intuitive says the Xi has more capabilities than previous models and is optimized for complex procedures. A da Vinci robot is not an automated surgical systems; rather, it's remote controlled by a human surgeon, who typically sits right next to it, in the operating room with the patient. One of the main advantages of the da Vinci system is that the surgeon can use tiny robotic tools that require a much smaller incision, along with visual enhancements like infrared imaging that offer valuable information that human eyes alone can't provide.