The advent of laparoscopic surgery in the 1980s heralded a new wave of surgical techniques – dubbed "Surgery 2.0" – that allowed for safer procedures and better outcomes compared to previous-generation open surgery. Robotic devices, led by Intuitive Surgical Inc.'s da Vinci, rang in Surgery 3.0, which allowes even more precise and controlled procedures and, in turn, enables surgeons to treat ever tighter anatomical spaces and, potentially, more conditions. (Also see "Market Intel: Ever Decreasing Dimensions, Snakes And Origami: The Next-Gen Surgical Robots" - Medtech Insight, 28 February, 2017.).
Exec Chat: How Verb Surgical Will Deliver On Surgery 4.0
The digital revolution looks to be sweeping across different industries, which are now fully embracing technologies around connectivity, big data and artificial intelligence to drive innovation and better outcomes. Health care seems to have come late to this party, but changes are happening as medtech companies make a concerted effort to incorporate the advanced computing capabilities needed to turn devices into smart machines that are constantly learning and adapting. Surgery is one area that will benefit from these smart technologies and Scott Huennekens, CEO of Verb Surgical, tells Medtech Insight how the J&J/Verily joint venture aims to make this happen.
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