Computer Motion and Scanlan International Form Strategic Alliance to Sell ZEUS-Compatible Instruments.SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 1998-- Scanlan to Manufacture and Sell ZEUS-Compatible Instruments to Perform Fully Endoscopic en·do·scope n. An instrument for examining visually the interior of a bodily canal or a hollow organ such as the colon, bladder, or stomach. en Heart Surgery Through Pencil-Sized Ports Computer Motion Inc. (Nasdaq/NM:RBOT RBOT Rotating Bomb Oxidation Test ) and Scanlan International Inc. Friday announced a strategic alliance in which Scanlan International will manufacture and sell cardiac surgical instruments A surgical instrument is a specially designed tool or device for performing specific actions of carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access or viewing it. which are compatible with Computer Motion's ZEUS Robotic Surgical System. These instruments will be used in concert with the ZEUS System to perform fully endoscopic cardiac surgery through ports smaller than the diameter of a pencil. Computer Motion's ZEUS Robotic Surgical System consists of three interactive robotic arms placed on the operating table, a computer controller and ergonomically enhanced surgeon console. One robotic arm is used to position the endoscope endoscope, any instrument used to look inside the body. Usually consisting of a fiber-optic tube attached to a viewing device, endoscopes are used to explore and biopsy such areas as the colon and the bronchi of the lungs. while the other two robotic arms manipulate surgical instruments under the direct control of the surgeon. While seated at the console, the surgeon can view the operative site in either 3-D or 2-D, depending on his or her preference. The surgeon controls the movements of the endoscope with simple spoken commands. Movements of the surgical instruments are controlled via handles that resemble conventional surgical instruments. Movements of these handles are scaled and tremor is filtered such that the surgeon is able to perform fully endoscopic, minimally invasive microsurgery microsurgery or micromanipulation Surgical technique for operating on minute structures, with specialized, tiny precision instruments under observation through a microscope, sometimes equipped with cameras to show the operation on a monitor. . The first human surgical procedure was recently performed with the ZEUS Robotic Surgical System under a Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption An Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) allows the investigational device to be used in a clinical study in order to collect safety and effectiveness data required to support a Premarket Approval (PMA) application or a Premarket Notification [510(k)] submission to Food and . According to John Greathouse, vice president, business development of Computer Motion: "The addition of Scanlan International to the ZEUS Alliance will help ensure that ZEUS surgeons will have a choice of premier instruments from a cadre of world-class instrument manufacturers. We believe that our open architecture approach of aligning with leading instrument and visualization companies will provide our customers with significant value and flexibility." Computer Motion's non-exclusive alliance with Scanlan International represents Computer Motion's continued efforts to offer surgeons choice and value with respect to ZEUS-compatible instrumentation. Under this Alliance, Scanlan International will purchase a proprietary interface from Computer Motion which will allow Scanlan's instruments to seamlessly attach to ZEUS' sophisticated robotic arms. Scanlan will manufacture and sell the ZEUS-Ready instruments directly through its preeminent sales force. Robert W. Duggan, chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Computer Motion, stated: "We respect the relationships surgeons have established with premier cardiac instrument companies such as Scanlan International. As such, we intend to partner with the leading instrument companies so that surgeons can use their preferred instruments when they utilize the ZEUS System to perform minimally invasive cardiac procedures." Scanlan International believes that surgeons' adoption of minimally invasive cardiac surgery minimally invasive cardiac surgery Interventional cardiology Any of a number of techniques–MIDCAB, off-pump coronary-artery bypass, minimally invasive valve surgery, port-access coronary surgery, and port-access valve surgery–increasingly being used to will be facilitated by providing robotic instrumentation which is similar to the hand-held instruments in use today. Kenneth Blake, vice president of research and development of Scanlan International, said, "It just makes sense that the learning curve will be greatly reduced by providing surgeons with Scanlan International's instruments, as these are the same instruments which are currently being used thousands of times a day in operating rooms around the globe. "As the market leader in cardiac surgical instrumentation, Scanlan instrumentation has been utilized by surgeons for over 75 years. We believe the precision and control of robotics coupled with the familiarity and quality of our leading cardiac surgical instrumentation is a combination that will offer our customers exceptional clinical benefit by enabling them to perform minimally invasive procedures that simply are not possible to perform today." Computer Motion, the world leader in medical robotics, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary robotic and computerized surgical systems for the operating room. The company's mission is to enhance surgeons' capabilities, improve outcomes and reduce costs using computers and robotics. The company currently markets AESOP Aesop (ē`səp, ē`sŏp), legendary Greek fabulist. According to Herodotus, he was a slave who lived in Samos in the 6th cent. B.C. and eventually was freed by his master. , a surgical robot surgical robot Surgery A device used to perform some surgical procedures Pros Smaller incisions, ↓ pain, correction of surgeon error and tremors, ↓ infections and other post-surgical complications, faster recovery, better outcomes Cons capable of positioning an endoscope in response to a surgeon's verbal commands. The company is developing new products that leverage the core technologies underlying the AESOP family of products: the ZEUS Robotic Surgical System for new minimally invasive microsurgery procedures such as endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting coronary artery bypass graft n. Abbr. CABG A surgical procedure in which a section of vein or other conduit is grafted between the aorta and a coronary artery below the region of an obstruction in that artery. (E-CABG); and the HERMES OR Control Center, a centralized control and operating system designed to control an integrated network of "smart" operating room devices through a surgeon's voice commands. The company's Internet Web site is www.ComputerMotion.com. Scanlan International is a market leader in the design and manufacture of surgical instrumentation for more than 75 years. The company has designed instruments in conjunction with surgeons in the fields of cardiovascular, thoracic, vascular and neuro specialties. These instruments are manufactured from various materials, including titanium and stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. , to the surgeon's demanding specifications. The company continues to expand to meet the needs and applications, such as minimally invasive surgery minimally invasive surgery Laparoscopic surgery, see there. See Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. . Scanlan International is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. . This news release contains forward-looking statements concerning the company's business and products. Actual results may differ materially depending on a number of risk factors, including the risk of clinical success, regulatory approval and physicians' and/or payors' acceptance of the company's products. Other risks inherent in the company's business are described in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. . The company undertakes no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. CONTACT: Computer Motion Inc., Santa Barbara Stephen L. Wilson, 805/968-9600, ext. 155 Holley Malia, 805/968-9600, ext. 179 or Scanlan International Inc. Ken Blake, 612/298-0997 |
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