1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
The Chamberlain Group
Lisa Chamberlain
Vice President/Managing Partner
413 528 7744
lisa@thecgroup.com
Media
Edward D. Agne
Communications Strategy Group
781 631 3117
edagne@comstratgroup.com
Intuitive Surgical Inc.
Nora Distefano
Market Development Specialist
408 523 2199
Cell: 408 594 4100
Nora.distefano@intuisurg.com
CHAMBERLAIN GROUP ANNOUNCES NEXT GENERATIONS OF
UTERINE ROBOTIC SURGERY TRAINER AND ROBOTI C SURGERY
TRAINING KITS
Reflects Robust Growth of Client Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci® System;
Creating Breakthrough Training Methods as Robotic Surgery Increases
Great Barrington, MA, November 6, 2008 – The Chamberlain Group, producers
of anatomically accurate surgical trainers, today announced two new robotic
surgery training devices: a comprehensive Uterine Robotic Surgery Trainer and
the next generation of its Robotic System Skills Kit, a modular tool for practicing
basic skills in robotic surgery.
According to Lisa Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Group’s co-founder, the
Uterine Trainer is a lifelike, full-scale model of the human uterus and vaginal
canal. It is composed of Chamberlain’s proprietary polymer that looks and feels
like living tissue, has appropriate elasticity and can be cut and sutured.
Physicians using the new Uterine Trainer may practice robotic skills used in
myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroid tumors), hysterectomy (removal of the
uterus) and sacrocolpopexy (correcting vaginal vault prolapse). Ms. Chamberlain
pointed out that following a practice myomectomy using the trainer, the physician
may perform a colpotomy (separating the uterus from the vagina) which is a skill
performed during a hysterectomy. The remaining vaginal canal may then be
affixed to mesh and a sacrocolpopexy performed by attaching the mesh to the
available sacral tissue.
The Uterine Trainer has a replaceable uterus which permits unlimited practice.
Ms. Chamberlain noted that while the trainer is primarily designed for robotic skill
training, it may also be utilized for any abdominal approach training including
laparoscopy.
2
Trainers Developed for Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci® Surgical System
According to Ms. Chamberlain, both the Uterine Trainer and the Robotic System
Skills Kit were developed in direct response to the company’s client, Intuitive
Surgical, Inc. (Nasdaq:ISRG), a recognized pioneer and leader in robotic
surgery, for training on their da Vinci® Surgical System. Industry analysts
estimate that over 1,000 da Vinci Systems will be installed in hospitals worldwide
by the end of 2008 and that demand is expected to increase.
In robotic surgery physicians use computer-assisted surgical instrumentation
yielding greater precision, dexterity and control, the sum of which enables
enhanced patient safety, reduced blood loss, less post-operative pain and
discomfort, less risk of infection, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery and less
scarring *. da Vinci® Prostatectomy is the #1 choice for treatment of localized
prostate cancer* in the United States and medical experts predict that it will soon
become the standard of care for hysterectomy. Growth of hysterectomy
procedures using the da Vinci® Surgical System is forecast at 150% per year.
Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci® Surgical System provides surgeons with the ability
to control instruments with the damping of natural tremors in the surgeon’s hand,
the ability to safely manipulate very delicate tissues and a three-dimensional,
magnified view of the surgical field all through minimally invasive ports in the
body.
Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci Surgical Systems are used by many physicians within
urology, gynecology, cardiothoracic surgery, and general surgery†. Medical
analysts estimate that approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed
annually in the US alone.
Robotic System Skills Kit Trains On Surgical Skills
The Robotic System Skills Kit is comprised of four different components, each
designed to help surgeons practice a specific skill utilizing the da Vinci Surgical
System.
The Chamberlain kit includes a Manipulation Skills Set, designed to practice
dexterity in handling robotic surgical instruments and manipulating small
structures; a Dissection Skills Pod to practice skills by moving through superficial
tissue layers to expose deeper vessels; a Suturing Skills Pod designed to
practice skills by closure of linear defects; and a Transection Skills Model that
enhances skills by carefully cutting within very narrow, defined boundaries.
Chamberlain’s Broad Range of Surgical and Procedure Models
The Chamberlain Group designs and builds models for a broad range of surgical
and interventional procedures including cardiothoracic, general and
†
Due to the patient- and procedure-specific nature of surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed.
3
gastrointestinal, reproductive and urological and vascular applications. In
addition to Intuitive, Chamberlain provides custom surgical and training models to
over 150 medical device manufacturers and hospitals and offers over 500
products it has created and markets.
Ms. Chamberlain pointed out there is a growing demand for better training
methods across all types of surgical and interventional procedures and that major
hospitals are building surgical simulation laboratories. Highly accurate, mimetic
tissue anatomical trainers provide a more realistic and cost-effective alternative
to traditional training in the operating room, with animals, or with cadavers, thus
reducing patient risk and health care costs.
In addition to training surgeons on robotic skills, the materials are also used to
train novice resident surgeons learning basic skills.
About The Chamberlain Group
The Chamberlain Group, based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, is the
worldwide leader in the development of custom anatomical surgical trainers.
Founded in 1999, the company designs and manufactures anatomically accurate
medical models that capture the consistency and response of living tissue.
These models provide the best alternative to animals and cadavers for
demonstrating medical devices and teaching new procedures. The Chamberlain
Group’s models are used for cardiothoracic, vascular, general and
gastrointestinal, reproductive, urological, and pulmonary training. The company
currently works with more than 150 leading medical device manufacturers and
teaching institutions in 40 countries. www.thecgroup.com
About Intuitive Surgical
Intuitive Surgical leads the development and commercialization of robotic
technology designed to extend the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to
broadest possible base of patients. Intuitive’s products can provide surgeons
with all the clinical and technical capabilities of traditional open surgery while
enabling them to operate through tiny incisions.
Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci® Surgical System combines a high definition 3D
visualization for the surgeon along with the ability to precisely maneuver an
endoscope, and a variety of articulating EndoWrist® Instruments using three
or four robotic arms. All of this combined with an intuitive, ergonomic
interface enables breakthrough surgical capabilities.
By integrating computer-enhanced technology with surgeons' technical skills,
Intuitive Surgical believes that the da Vinci® Surgical System enables
surgeons to perform better surgery in a manner never before experienced.
The da Vinci® Surgical System seamlessly and directly translates the
surgeon's natural hand, wrist and finger movements on instrument controls at
the Surgeon's Console outside the patient's body into corresponding micromovements of the instrument tips positioned inside the patient through tiny
incisions, or ports.
4
Intuitive Surgical® da Vinci®, da Vinci®S, and EndoWrist® are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
###