Sovato Announces Multiple Successful Remote Robotic-Assisted Procedures Over a 500-Mile Distance with the Use of the Sovato Platform
June 25 2024 - 9:05AM
Business Wire
Results from the preclinical tests presented at
the Society of Robotic Surgery 2024 Annual Meeting highlight
surgeons' high degree of confidence in performing remote
procedures
Remote surgery made possible with collaboration
from Virtual Incision and use of the MIRA Surgical System, the
world’s first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery device
Sovato, a company enabling remote surgery and procedures,
announced the use of the Sovato Platform in the successful
completion of a series of remote robotic-assisted surgery (RAS)
procedures in a preclinical technology demonstration. As part of
the preclinical tests, seven surgeons across four specialties
performed Nephrectomy, Hysterectomy, Colectomy, and Cholecystectomy
procedures, validating the broad application of remote surgery.
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Dennis Fowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer
at Sovato, communicates with the remote medical team through the
Sovato Platform 500 miles away during a practice run for
preclinical tests on Virtual Incision’s MIRA Surgical System.
(Photo: Business Wire)
The preclinical test results and surgeon experience were
presented at the Society of Robotic Surgery 2024 Annual Meeting in
Orlando, Florida. The surgeons completed a user experience
assessment based on the NASA Task Load Index, a self-evaluation
tool used to measure a subjective mental workload assessment of a
participant while performing a task. The results revealed a high
degree of confidence while performing the remote procedures.
Surgeons also reported the ability to communicate effectively with
the bedside assistant and having comparable situational awareness
of the remote operating room compared to in-person surgery.
"I could not tell the difference between doing surgery in my
operating room or in an operating room that was 500 miles away,"
stated Francesco Bianco, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery,
Division of General, Minimally Invasive & Robotic Surgery
Department of Surgery, at the University of Illinois, Chicago, who
presented the results. "The experience was seamless. There was no
detectable delay. There was absolute comfort in communicating with
the team on the remote side. Everything looked like a normal day in
my operating room."
The Sovato Platform is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive
solution for enabling and orchestrating remote robotic-assisted
surgeries and procedures. Sovato brings together the remote surgery
ecosystem, including healthcare providers and any RAS system, to
deliver the curated fiberoptic network, clinical workflows, data,
and supporting infrastructure required to enable safe, scalable,
and profitable remote surgery and procedure programs. For
healthcare organizations, Sovato’s platform supports the complete
remote surgery program spanning the entire surgical journey for
surgeons, care teams, and patients.
In the preclinical tests, the Sovato Platform was paired with a
modified version of Virtual Incision's MIRA Surgical System to
enable surgeons from multiple disciplines to perform the procedures
across a 500-mile distance. The Sovato Platform enabled low
latency, curated, fiberoptic connectivity from the surgeon console
to control MIRA’s arms and integrated an articulating camera at the
remote location for full situational awareness. Surgeons maintained
immersive verbal and visual communication with the remote care team
using the Sovato Platform.
"Remote surgery offers the ability for surgeons and healthcare
teams to care for patients who may not have access to minimally
invasive surgery in many parts of the world," stated Marty Martino,
MD, Medical Director, Gynecologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery at
Ascension St. Vincent's. "To think about a surgeon located in one
city and performing a remote surgery more than 500 miles away – all
while feeling like you're right there in person with the patient
and care team – is history in the making."
Remote surgery will help address the needs of more than half the
world’s population that does not currently have access to
high-quality surgical care, including 83 million Americans who must
travel for routine procedures.1 Robotic-assisted technologies have
the potential to enable minimally invasive surgery for these
patients by allowing a surgeon to operate from a distant location.
Miniaturized RAS systems, like MIRA, can further impact the process
through simplified transportation and storage, making remote
surgery a more feasible option for more hospitals.
"Sovato's position is that the user experience is fundamental to
drive adoption. Capturing the surgeon’s confidence in the
technology and workflows is everything,” said Cynthia Perazzo, CEO
and co-founder of Sovato. “These preclinical tests highlight that
with the right tools and supporting infrastructure, remote surgery
can mimic, and even improve, the experience for the surgeon and
care teams. We are grateful to Virtual Incision’s partnership in
making these preclinical tests a success. We share a vision of
democratizing access to high-quality surgical care at a much larger
scale, and these tests underscore we are on the right path to
making this vision a reality.”
The preclinical tests were performed on porcine models between
Lincoln, NE, and Chicago, IL, by the following surgeons:
- Dr. Francesco Bianco, General Surgery – University of Illinois,
Chicago
- Dr. Michael Fabrizio, Urology – Urology of Virginia
- Dr. Gerald Gantt, Colorectal Surgery – University of Illinois,
Chicago
- Dr. Gregory Heidrick, Obstetrics & Gynecology – Lincoln
OB/GYN
- Dr. Michael Jobst, General & Colorectal Surgery – Bryan
Health
- Dr. Martin Martino, Gynecologic Oncology – Ascension St.
Vincent's
- Dr. James Porter, Urology – Providence St. Joseph Health
ABOUT SOVATO
Sovato’s vision is to create unprecedented access to
high-quality surgical care by enabling and orchestrating safe,
scalable, and profitable remote robotic-assisted surgery and
procedure programs. Based in Santa Barbara, CA, the company is
co-founded by Cynthia Perazzo, MBA, and industry pioneer Yulun
Wang, PhD, the founder of Computer Motion (merged with Intuitive
Surgical) and InTouch Health (acquired by Teladoc Health). Sovato's
investors include Polaris Partners, Laerdal Million Lives Fund,
Beringea, and other private investors. For more information, visit
www.Sovato.com or follow company updates on LinkedIn.
The Sovato Platform has not been evaluated by the US Food and
Drug Administration and is not currently available for sale in the
US.
1
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2796554
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Media contact: Parinaz Farzin
parinaz@merrymancommunications.com