FDA clears voice-controlled surgical robot; clinical evaluations begin for AESOP 2000, the world's first surgical robot that understands voice commands

Business Wire, June 25, 1996

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 1996--Computer Motion, the world's leading supplier of medical robotics, announced the FDA has granted 510(k) market clearance for AESOP 2000 (pronounced "eesop"), a surgical robot capable of maneuvering and positioning a laparoscope in response to a surgeon's voice commands.

This allows the surgeon to use spoken English to precisely control and position the laparoscope (a specially designed optical tube which, when connected to a medical video camera and light source, is passed into the body to allow the surgeon to view the operation on a video monitor).

A clinical advisory team composed of leading endoscopic surgeons has worked closely with the company throughout the development of the surgical robot's voice control interface. These surgeons will be the first in the world to evaluate AESOP 2000 (an acronym for Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning) at their institutions.

Robert W. Bailey, MD, FACS Division Head of General Surgery Greater Baltimore Medical Center Baltimore, Md.

Carlos R. Gracia, MD, FACS Director, California Laparoscopic Institute San Ramon Regional Medical Center San Ramon, Calif.

Louis R. Kavoussi, MD Associate Professor of Urology Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore, Md.

Duncan F. Turner, MD, FACOG Director of Gynecologic Surgery De La Vina Surgicenter Medical Group Santa Barbara, Calif.

W. Peter Geis, MD, FACS Director, Minimally Invasive Surgical Training Institute St. Joseph Medical Center Towson, Md.

John G. Hunter, MD, FACS Associate Professor of Surgery Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Ga.

Jonathan M. Sackier, MD, FRCS Associate Professor of Surgery Director, Washington Institute of Surgical Endoscopy George Washington University Medical Training Center Washington, D.C.

"AESOP 2000 is the first voice-controlled medical robot to be cleared by the FDA for the operating room," said Gene Wang, president and CEO of Computer Motion. "We are delighted with the FDA's efforts to streamline the regulatory review process. This is resulting in the timely introduction of safe and effective medical innovations that benefit the patient, surgeon and hospital."

Computer Motion's core development team, led by Chief Technical Officer and Founder Dr. Yulun Wang, has worked together for over 10 years and holds several key patents in robotics for medical applications. The company is currently developing new products for surgical applications which leverage the core technologies underlying the AESOP family of products.

"The introduction of voice control marks a new paradigm for the way surgery will be performed in the near future," said Dr. Yulun Wang, CTO and Founder of Computer Motion. "Hospitals everywhere recognize that operating rooms need to become more efficient and less costly to operate. We will apply our speech recognition technology to help optimize the operating room through a universal surgeon-to-machine interface."

Founded in 1989, Computer Motion is the world leader in medical robotics. The company's mission is to enhance surgeons' capabilities and improve outcomes while reducing costs in the operating room using computers and robotics. Computer Motion is privately held and is based in Goleta, Calif. The company's Web site is http://www.ComputerMotion.com.

CONTACT: Computer Motion Inc., Santa Barbara

James Wright, 805/968-9600, ext. 104

or

Michael Chan, 805/968-9600, ext. 103