Intuitive Surgical - by Daniel Li
Intuitive Surgical Inc. is an American corporation that develops, manufactures and markets robotic products designed to improve clinical outcomes of patients through minimally invasive surgery, most notably with the da Vinci Surgical System.
What is da Vinci Surgical System? It is designed to facilitate complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach, and is controlled by a surgeon from a console. The system is commonly used for prostatectomies, and increasingly for cardiac valve repair and gynecologic surgical procedures. The da Vinci System is called "da Vinci" in part because Leonardo da Vinci's "study of human anatomy eventually led to the design of the first known robot in history", according to the manufacturer. During the visit, we were very fortunate to take a close look at the machines of the system and even operate them by ourselves.
After we arrived at the company, Mr. Arpit Mittal met with us and then took us to the demonstration lab. There were three machines which were an operation table, a console machine and a monitor. Mr. Arpit Mittal told us that these machines made up of the da Vinci Surgical System.
On the operation table, there was a simple simulation of part of a patient’s body with outer layer transparent. We were encouraged to use the tool to simulate an operation on the ‘patient’. The aim was to pick up a tiny rubber band and put it on a bulge inside. It was so hard because of three reasons. The tool was too long to control it well. The rubber band was too tiny to move it. The vision field was too narrow. Through the simple operation, I couldn’t imagine how difficult Minimally invasive procedure was. Some procedures may take couple of hours which means that doctors had to use those tools stably for hours!
After that we tried the console machine which was very amazing. We did the same operation sitting in front of the machine, holding two flexible mental arms and looking through the monitor on it. It was dramatically easier than the previous one. Then I fully understand why there’s a market for da Vinci Surgical System. We asked the limitations of the system and Mr. Arpit Mittal told us that the mental tools may collide with each other when doing an operation in a very small area and the vision field was still narrow. I really hoped that they could improve their system and bring benefit to the world.
During the lunch with Mr. Arpit Mittal, he asked us the most concerned thing in our mind. Some of my classmates talked about the education problem, the environment problem and mental problem of young people. What just came into my mind was the trade war. I think as universities students, we are supposed to think about some hot topics and have our own thoughts. After lunch Mr. Arpit Mittal took us to the manufacture department where we saw the procedures of making the complex machines and known how a workshop looks like.
The progress of science and technology has brought many benefits to the world. As engineering students, if there are opportunities in the future, we should also make inventions and creations beneficial to all mankind.