Preparing for the surgical robot boom

With greater investment from healthcare organisations and surgical robot technology about to become generic, the conditions are perfect for a boom in the surgical robotics market. But how can design engineers and technical medical staff ensure these new systems operate reliably and safely? Michele Windsor, global marketing manager at surgical robot battery manufacturer Accutronics, has a solution. While they may sometimes feel like a new medical technology, surgical robots have actually been around for several decades. The first robot system successfully conducted a neurosurgical biopsy in 1985, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its first surgical robot -- the da Vinci surgical system -- in 2000.