Intuitive has begun rolling out real-time surgical metrics to the operator consoles of its da Vinci 5 robot in what it describes as the first in a series of planned software updates for the system.
That includes a speedometerlike indicator of how much force its instruments are applying to the patient’s tissue—as well as the ability to call up picture-in-picture video replays during a procedure, all from within the console viewer.
“The expanded computing power of da Vinci 5 offers an opportunity to continuously optimize and extend platform performance capabilities through sequential software releases,” Intuitive CEO Dave Rosa said in a statement.
The company said the new features have been cleared by the FDA and will be delivered to systems through Network CCM, Intuitive’s remote update platform.
“We pay careful attention to our customers’ long-term needs, and the integration of these latest features is the next step towards realizing what we set out to achieve with da Vinci 5—helping surgeons and care teams to optimize efficiencies, deliver improved patient outcomes, and ultimately lower the total cost of care,” Rosa added.
The force gauge builds on the da Vinci 5’s introduction of providing physical feedback to the surgeon. Following the system’s launch in March 2024, Intuitive has highlighted studies showing that tactile controls simulating the resistance of tissue—as opposed to simply visual cues—can result in gentler surgeries, with less stress being placed on the body. However, clinical improvements in the patient’s later recovery time and organ function have not yet been demonstrated.
Earlier this year, the company said it was able to transmit the system’s force feedback through a transatlantic demonstration of the da Vinci 5’s telesurgery capabilities, with an operator in the U.S. feeling the instruments’ use on a tissue model in France.
Meanwhile, the in-console video replay system temporarily records the entire procedure locally, allowing for the review of key moments within the surgeon’s field-of-view or through a second console alongside a collaborator.
According to Intuitive, these features were enabled in part by the da Vinci 5 carrying more than 10,000 times the computing power of its predecessor, the da Vinci Xi, which debuted in 2016.