Three new software features for Intuitive’s most advanced soft tissue surgical robot have received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration.
The company announced the first in a series of software enhancements for da Vinci 5, designed to boost surgeon and hospital efficiency through real-time surgical insights.
Da Vinci 5 boasts more than 10,000 times the computing power of da Vinci Xi. This allows for new system capabilities, including:
• Force Gauge: A speedometer-like visual indicator showing the force applied at the Force Feedback instrument tip.
• In-console Video Replay: An intraoperative feature that allows surgeons to revisit key moments from a procedure without removing their head from the console.
• Network CCM: A feature enabling hospital teams to process software updates – including Force Gauge and In-Console Video Replay – remotely.
Intuitive’s chief executive officer Dave Rosa said: ‘The increased computing power of da Vinci 5 offers a chance to continuously optimise and expand platform performance through successive software releases. We carefully consider our customers’ long-term needs, and integrating these newest features is the next step in achieving our goal with da Vinci 5 – helping surgeons and care teams to improve efficiencies, deliver better patient outcomes, and eventually reduce the overall cost of care.’
When using Force Feedback instruments, da Vinci 5 now displays the relative, real-time force applied during surgery via Force Gauge – a speedometer-like visual indicator showing force at the instrument tip.
Force Gauge aims to increase awareness of tissue force, measuring within a 0-6.5 Newton range.
Dr Andrea Pakula, medical director of Robotic Surgery at Adventist Health, said: ‘We’ve had the chance to use da Vinci 5 Force Feedback technology for over a year and a half at Adventist Health Simi Valley, and we find that we consistently apply less force to tissue during procedures.
‘Now, with the addition of the new Force Gauge feature, we have an immediate visual cue of the force through the instruments. This offers instant feedback and adds another layer of information to help us refine our technique further. I'm eager to see how these upgrades might support gentler, safer surgery, as we stay committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.’
Recently published data in The American Journal of Surgery suggests that Force Feedback technology can reduce the total force applied during surgery, without negatively affecting primary outcomes like bowel function or hospital stay length.
In-Console Video Replay is an intraoperative feature enabling surgeons to revisit and review video clips from earlier in the same procedure without leaving the console.
The replay appears directly in their view, alongside a live picture-in-picture window for ongoing situational awareness.
Fully integrated into the da Vinci 5 system, In-Console Video Replay records the entire procedure locally and temporarily to support real-time decision-making, collaborative review between dual consoles – and improved safety and efficiency.
Force Gauge and In-Console Video Replay will be available to customers in the US via Network CCM, a real-time system update feature for da Vinci 5.
Using Network CCM, new software functions can be activated remotely, which could lessen administrative tasks by allowing hospital teams to update software remotely.
The updates for da Vinci 5 software were announced at Intuitive 360, the yearly peer-to-peer educational event.
