March 19 (Reuters) - MAKO Surgical Corp :
* Announces patent enforcement actions against stanmore entities
* Filed complaints against stanmore implants worldwide and stanmore inc with the U.S. international trade commission
* Says patent infringement actions are directed at stanmore's computerized orthopedic surgery guidance systems
* Says patents at issue relate to computerized orthopedic surgical devices and software
* Further company coverage
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Like all computers, Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci can malfunction during surgery.
With the da Vinci, the most common event "involves instrument cable breaks," the company said in a recent statement. "These cable breaks render the instrument non-functional and require an instrument change, which can be accomplished quickly."
However, surgeons using the robot realize more serious malfunctions are a possibility.
In a court deposition related to alleged da Vinci complications in one of his surgeries, Washington urologist Scott Bildsten said, "One problem you can run into is sword fighting—you're clanging your arms together and fighting each other, in which case they can build up unnecessary tension."
A random review of da Vinci-related "adverse events" on the FDA database contains a number of reported incidents where robots seemingly malfunctioned, some with serious noteworthy results.
For example, during a hysterectomy on Jan. 2, according to the database, "It was stated that the arm jumped, causing the instrument … to stab an artery, which led to some bleeding that the surgeon was able to control without converting the procedure. The scheduled procedure was completed successfully."
In another hysterectomy, on Jan. 4, "the patient's ureter was damaged. During repair of the patient's ureter by the site's urologist, the urologist noted that the jaw on the EndoWrist instrument installed on the patient side manipulator arm was not articulating correctly. ... Unable to resolve the issue, the surgeons made the decision to repair patient's ureter and complete the surgical procedure using open surgical techniques."
And in yet another hysterectomy, on Dec. 28, "the bipolar instrument fired unintentionally during a procedure. ... The instrument tip did touch the patient's uterus [and] the customer was able to successfully complete the case plus two additional cases using the same generator with no further incidents."
Then there was a hysterectomy on Dec. 13. According to the FDA database, "It was reported ... the da Vinci system hit the patient in the face. It was unknown if the patient was injured during this time. The surgeon made the decision to convert the procedure to traditional open surgical techniques to complete the procedure."
It is important to note that submissions to the FDA database are voluntary, based only on reported cases and have not necessarily been investigated by the agency.
WASHINGTON -- Shares of robot surgical company Intuitive Surgical Inc. rose 9 percent Wednesday after the company reported continuing demand for its remote-controlled surgical devices.
THE SPARK: On Tuesday Intuitive Surgical said that it sold another 175 da Vinci surgical systems in the fourth quarter, up from 152 a year ago. The da Vinci system uses robotic arms, cameras and a remote control console to help doctors perform surgery with tiny incisions. Intuitive Surgical's business model is built around sales of the $1.5 million devices, plus disposable instruments that must be replaced after each procedure. Intuitive said procedures with the robot increased 25 percent in the fourth quarter, with the largest areas of growth in gynecology and general surgery procedures.
THE ANALYSIS: The company said Tuesday that it expects procedures with da Vinci to increase by 20 to 23 percent in the coming year. Analysts say the actual figure could be higher. Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst Rick Wise said Intuitive Surgical "starts new fiscal years with a conservative outlook that is frequently exceeded." Wise raised his 2013 sales projections for the company to $2.56 billion from $2.49 billion.
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Jeremy Feffer said there are "limited opportunities for revenue upside" compared with 2012. However he still expects "continued solid growth" and raised his price target for the stock to $500 from $525.
SHARE ACTION: Intuitive Surgical shares rose $47.10, or 9.1 percent, to $565.59 in afternoon trading.
