Manufacturers

=Information & Governance=

Intuitive Surgical, Incorporated, manufacturer of the da Vinci Surgical Robotic Systems, is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Intuitive is recognized worldwide as the industry leader in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The da Vinci system provides surgeons with unsurpassed accuracy, handiness, imaging, and performance. This advanced, robotic system is used in performing complex procedures such as laparoscopy (abdominal surgery), prostatectomy (prostate surgery), thoracoscopy (chest surgery), urologic and gynecologic surgeries, pediatric, open-heart surgery, and numerous other general surgical disciplines.

Intuitive first introduced the da Vinci surgical robot in 1999, and they have since continually provided hospitals and doctors with the most technologically advanced robotic-assisted systems. Currently, over 1,395 da Vinci Systems are installed in hospitals globally, and has over 140 US patents and 60 foreign patents. The da Vinci system provides hospitals with a decrease in occurrences of surgical complications and post-surgical infections. The da Vinci also reduces post-operative pain, nursing care, and hospital length-of-stay. Intuitive’s robotic surgical systems broaden the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to the widest range of patients and hospitals.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governs Intuitive Surgical, and it is the FDA that tests and clears Intuitive’s robotic surgical systems for use in hospitals. The FDA has to first clear the da Vinci Robotic System for each new surgical procedure before such procedure can be performed in hospitals worldwide. Intuitive also has its own Governance Committee as well as its own Audit Committee in order to adhere to strict policies and requirements. Intuitive’s Governance Committee oversees, reviews, and provides recommendations relating to the company’s governance policies. Its Governance Committee is made up of a minimum of two independent directors, and the members are appointed by Intuitive’s Board of Directors. Meanwhile, the Audit Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in overseeing the integrity of Intuitive’s compliance with regulatory, financial, and legal requirements. These three bodies, the FDA, the Governance Committee, and the Audit Committee, provide the necessary governance in order for Intuitive Surgical, Incorporated, to function in accordance with the rules, regulations, and policies of hospitals, society, and the government.