Titan Medical is currently developing an enhanced system called Amadeus for robotic surgery, which would permit the surgeons to experience the pressure exerted by the surgical devices, which are working inside the body.
The Ancaster Industrial Park is the place where research is being carried out for the creation of the four armed surgical platform. Reiza Rayman, the company President, who is a Cardiac Surgeon and who also has a PhD in Robotic Telesurgery, reveals that currently, the surgeon could see what was being done by the robotic arms but could not feel it. The new surgical tools would have a greater range of motion and would also make use of electrical signals and motors for replicating touch.
Titan-Amadeus
Rayman reveals that initially the robotic surgical instruments were like chopsticks and now Titan’s system would be making use of multiple joints to ape the movements of the human arm and hands. The Amadeus would utilize ultrasound and infrared along with enhanced resolution for the doctor to get a better idea and view of the procedure. Rayman states that it was still at the infancy stage but with Titan’s help they would reach an advanced stage. Further, he states that by the year 2015, robotic surgery market would be almost $5 billion with a demand of over 6000 systems from all over the world.
Currently, the Amadeus system is undergoing mechanical testing for software trials and durability. It has taken five years for Titan to develop Amadeus and Clinical trials would be commenced in two years. According to Rayman despite the advantages such as improved recovery times for patients, reduction in costs for post-surgery, only about 1-2% of the operations are being carried out using robots.
Titan along with mechanical engineers from Cambridge and instrument designers from the east coast in the US has developed the Amadeus. Most of the software has been developed in its Ancaster research division.