Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Briefcase Full Of Bytes: Bringing VR Training For Robotic Surgery Down A Few Sizes

April 18, 2018 By Daniel Seeger

Any technology brought into the OR to create new care pathways for surgical teams is also likely to bring with it a myriad of challenges. That dilemma is especially true of robotically-assisted surgical systems. They unquestionably transform the work of surgeons, but matters are complicated by the need to smartly, efficiently provide a way for physicians and other staff to train with the complex devices.

Mimic Technologies recognized the need for easier, more economical robotically-assisted surgical system training tools. One of the key innovations they’ve delivered is the FlexVR, an offering in their dV-Trainer product line that made a splash at the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons MIS Week in the fall.

Jeffrey Berkely, CEO, founder, and chairman of Mimic Technologies, says the FlexVR allows for virtual reality training on the da Vinci, but with a key difference from other available devices that use technology to replicate the experience of operating with Intuitive Surgical’s flagship device.

“To date, most of the available simulators that emulate the da Vinci are based on the surgeon console, so they’re big,” explains Berkley. “They take up a lot of precious space in a hospital and can be difficult to move around.”

The FlexVR comes in a suitcase small enough to be easily checked in for a plane flight. Despite its compact size, the FlexVR has integrated controllers, foot pedals, a 3D monitor, glasses, a touchpad, and all the other components required to give users the complete sensation of being at the controls of a robotically-assisted surgical system.

Although Mimic Technologies has licensed its technology to Intuitive Surgical for training with the robot’s surgeon console, the FlexVR is designed to be used anywhere, including in the home. The theory is simple: The more accessible the training, the more people who can train and become proficient in robotically-assisted surgery before performing procedures on real patients.

The FlexVR expertly mimics the da Vinci, but future versions will be adapted for training associated with the array of competing robotically-assisted surgical systems expected to impact the marketplace soon.

(Image credit: Mimic Technologies)

In addition to improving patient safety by letting surgeons take trial runs with the virtual reality technology, the FlexVR can be a fiscal boon for hospitals. The cost per case increases when surgeons are less proficient with a tool due to longer case time and worse outcomes. The FlexVR helps physicians master the basic mechanics of the robotic device, allowing them to fully focus on surgical technique by the time they’re working with patients in the OR.

In developing training, the primary concern is usually around new surgeons, or at least practitioners who are less accustomed to a particular tool. But studies in the field suggest that simulations are just as important for surgeons trying to keep their skills honed for surgical scenarios that don’t come through the OR doors with great frequency.

The portability of the FlexVR helps facilities bypass one of the common problems that could dissuade surgeons from continuing education. When the training tool is difficult to access, such as a simulator attached to the surgical robot, it’s too easy to forgo skills maintenance in between surgeries.

“If your simulator is stuck in a busy OR, it can be challenging to get enough training,” argues Berkley.

There are over 150 exercises available on Mimic Technologies platforms, so nearly every challenge a surgeon might encounter is available as a simulation.

The portable device is also economically priced compared to large-scale simulators, which is key for hospitals and other healthcare facilities that have already laid out major dollars for purchase and installation of a robotically-assisted surgical system.

“With FlexVR, hospitals can aquire a training solution with a relatively small capital investment and then choose the software subscriptions that work best for their needs,” says Berkley. “Educators can choose from basic skills, advanced skills, and procedure training options. Curriculums can be customized in many ways to meet varying training objectives”

Procedures utilizing the da Vinci or other robotic systems still represent a relatively small portion of the caseload in the OR, about 10 percent of all laparoscopic cases, but that is sure to change.

“What we’re going to see is robotics taking over more and more and more of the minimally invasive surgery market,” Berkley says. “In the future, we are going to have a computer-mediated interface between surgeons and their patients, whether it’s a robot, whether it’s image-guidance, or some other technology.”

Mimic Technologies aims to help surgeons and healthcare facilities be fully ready for that future, no matter how quickly it arrives.

Related Articles Read More >

Logos of Creo Medical and Intuitive
Creo Medical inks collaboration agreement with Intuitive
Lazurite ArthroFree wireless surgical camera system Minnetronix Medical
How Minnetronix Medical helped Lazurite with its wireless surgical camera
Medtronic Hugo robot-assisted surgery system
The road to a robot: Medtronic’s development process for its Hugo RAS system
A portrait of Stryker executive Siddarth Satish
How Stryker includes users for product design in the digital age

DeviceTalks Weekly.

May 20, 2022
DeviceTalks Boston Post-Game – Editors’ Top Moments, Insulet’s Eric Benjamin on future of Omnipod 5
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech