Computer Motion

Computer Motion

High-tech medical device company evolving surgical practices to enhance patient lives.

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Total Funding000k
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In 1990, Dr. Yulun Wang founded Computer Motion, a company that would become a key player in the nascent field of surgical robotics. Initially, the company focused on creating a steady robotic arm to hold a laparoscope, a problem Dr. Wang identified as a critical need in laparoscopic surgery. This effort, backed by early funding from a NASA JPL SBIR grant, led to the development of AESOP, the first surgical robot to receive FDA clearance. Computer Motion didn't stop with a single robotic arm. By 1996, the company introduced the ZEUS surgical system, a more comprehensive platform that incorporated instruments for laparoscopic procedures. This placed them in direct competition with another emerging robotics company, Intuitive Surgical, and its da Vinci system. The rivalry between the two companies intensified, leading to a series of patent infringement lawsuits that created uncertainty in the market. The defining moment for Computer Motion came in 2003. After years of legal battles, the company announced it would merge with its chief rival, Intuitive Surgical. The merger, which was completed in June 2003, effectively ended the litigation and consolidated the intellectual property of both firms. Following the merger, the ZEUS system was phased out in favor of the da Vinci system, and Computer Motion as a separate entity ceased to exist, with Robert Duggan, its chairman, joining the board of the newly combined company.

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