U.S. FDA approves miniature robot for spinal procedures.

2004 JUL 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A miniature robot for spinal procedures has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Named SpineAssist, the robot was created by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Professor Moshe Shoham. It will be manufactured and marketed by Mazor Surgical Technologies, the company founded by Shoham in 2001.

The robot offers surgeons improved accuracy during complicated back surgery while minimizing risks associated with spinal surgical procedures. Such risks include nerve damage, which according to industry statistics, happens in 2% to 3% of spine injuries.

No bigger than a soda can, it is attached directly to the patient's body, pointing surgeons to the exact positioning needed for tools and implants. This is critical, said Shoham, since a mistake in placement of even a few millimeters can cause irreversible nerve damage or paralysis.

"SpineAssist minimizes the risk of working free hand in sensitive regions of the spine," said Shoham. "It conceives a plan for locating the spinal implants, but neither replaces the surgeon nor performs any operations.

"After examining and approving the recommendation, the surgeon inserts surgical instruments through the arm of the robot, thereby minimizing the danger of damaging vital organs."