A Da Vinci robotic, on the left, working in sync with the Levita system on the suitable. | Supply: Levita Magnetics
Surgical robotic procedures have gotten more and more extra commonplace every single day. In 2022 alone, surgeons all over the world carried out 1.8 million robot-assisted procedures, in response to the Royal Faculty of Surgeons of England. Final month, Levita Magnetics Inc. introduced what it mentioned was a brand new breakthrough within the area: For the primary time, surgeons accomplished a process utilizing two robots in tandem.
The process, a prostate-removal surgical procedure, used Levita’s MARS platform to maneuver inside organs utilizing its proprietary magnetic positioning system. Dr. Jeffrey Cadeddu on the College of Texas Southwestern Medical Heart mixed the MARS (magnetic-assisted robotic surgical procedure) system with Intuitive Surgical‘s Da Vinci SP (single-port) robotic.
Dr. Alberto Navarro-Rodriguez, the CEO and president of Levita Magnetics, mentioned the concept for the process got here from Cadeddu. It was an thrilling second for Navarro-Rodriguez, who based Levita after stopping his medical apply. He recalled that he hoped to create instruments that will empower surgeons to enhance affected person outcomes.
So, seeing surgeons take this method and innovate new methods to carry out procedures felt just a little unreal, he mentioned.
“That’s the fantastic thing about working with world-renowned surgeons. They’ve concepts,” Navarro-Rodriguez informed The Robotic Report. “You present the instruments, they usually discovered a means of incorporating totally different applied sciences.”
Silicon Valley-based Levita Magnetics secured FDA 510(ok) clearance for its up to date MARS system in 2023. The firm‘s system consists of two surgeon-controlled robotic arms. One arm holds and operates the magnetic controller, whereas the opposite holds and controls an endoscope with a digital camera for visualization contained in the affected person.
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Contained in the landmark process
“We have been the primary on the earth to develop the magnetic idea; that’s our energy,” asserted Navarro-Rodriguez. “However, in fact, we’re open to collaboration, and that’s what we’re demonstrating right here. On the finish, our objective must be how we enhance outcomes for the affected person.”
In the course of the prostate elimination process, the surgical crew used Levita’s MARS platform to retract tissue throughout the affected person exactly. This will increase visualization, permitting the crew to protect nerves concerned in sexual perform and urinary continence.
The neurovascular bundles accountable for erectile perform and urinary continence are situated adjoining to the prostate gland. Traditionally, surgeons have struggled to keep away from these bundles throughout prostate elimination.
“Our objective is to enhance visualization,” Navarro-Rodriguez mentioned. “In case you see higher, you are able to do a greater process, since you do higher dissections.”
The Da Vinci SP offered the single-port capabilities required for this advanced urological surgical procedure. The Intuitive Surgical robotic makes an incision in order that surgeons can get contained in the affected person and carry out a process. The MARS system permits the surgeons better entry and visualization as soon as they’re contained in the physique, eradicating the bounds that include single-port surgical procedure.
“We offer {our capability} of producing actions that you’re not in a position to do with standard devices or standard robotics, as a result of we generate motion via the stomach wall,” famous Navarro-Rodriguez. “So what which means is the actions which you could generate aren’t constrained by your entry level.”
Surgeons leverage Levita’s expertise
Usually, the MARS system is used for frequent procedures which can be carried out every single day in excessive numbers, equivalent to gallbladder, bariatric, and colorectal procedures. With this dual-robot process, Levita mentioned it has demonstrated that MARS is usually a instrument for extra advanced procedures and enhance outcomes for sufferers.
“Magnetics allows you, as a surgeon, to offer a process with fewer incisions, since you generate motion utilizing magnets via the stomach wall, so that you don’t need to make so many holes within the sufferers,” Navarro-Rodriguez mentioned.
Along with its less-invasive method, the MARS system can be cheaper for hospitals, he added.
“Our robotic dimension is way leaner, it doesn’t use an enormous console,” mentioned Navarro-Rodriguez. “We deal with how we are able to do the process higher, and that side for us is decreasing the variety of incisions.”
With a a lot leaner robotic, the surgical system is extra accessible on a worldwide scale, he mentioned.
Levita Magnetics makes plans, considers collaborations
Navarro-Rodriguez mentioned Levita is “completely” concerned with extra dual-robot surgical procedures.
“It’s very rewarding, understanding that you simply’re offering a greater surgical procedure for a affected person, {that a} affected person can have a greater end result with this, and they’re going to go residence earlier with much less incision,” he mentioned.
Levita Magnetics can be creating synthetic intelligence that would assist in future procedures.
“Now we have a really robust pipeline of AI that we are literally creating,” mentioned Navarro-Rodriguez. “I’m completely satisfied surgical procedure can be an autonomous process. Sooner or later, step-by-step, you’ll begin automating steps of the process.”
Typically, Levita’s targets are to achieve extra sufferers, create higher outcomes, and carry out surgical procedures quicker within the subsequent yr.
“Robotics are very cool, however we don’t need to develop robots simply because it’s cool. It actually has to convey worth to the affected person and to the healthcare system,” Navarro-Rodriguez mentioned.
