Table 1.
Historical timeline of the evolution and development of robotic instrumentation in urology
| Year | Device / Instrument | Group | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | UNIMATE | Unimation, Inc., USA | First industrial robot in USA |
| 1967 | Versatron | American Machine and Foundary | First industrial robot in Japan |
| 1978 | Unimate PUMA | Unimation, Inc., USA | Electric motor based programmable miniaturized version of unimate |
| 1979 | Definition of “Robot” established | Robot Institute of America | Reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks |
| 1980s | Telepresence surgical system | Stanford Research Institute (SRI) & National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center | Anastomosis of femoral arteries |
| 1980s | SRI Green Telepresence Surgical System | SRI & US Department of Defense | Open surgery - military applications |
| 1980s | SRI Green Telepresence Surgical System | Bowersox and Cornum | Nephrectomy, cystotomy closure, ureteral anastomosis - porcine model |
| 1988 | PUMA | Imperial College, London, UK | Transurethral prostate resection |
| Late 1980s | SARP (Surgeon Assistant Robot for Prostatectomy) | Imperial College, London, UK | Transurethral prostate resection |
| 1991-1997 | PROBOT (Robot for prostatectomies) | Harris et al. | Transurethral prostate resection (TURP) |
| 1990s | ARTEMIS system | Schurr et al. (Germany) | Procedures in animal models |
| 1993 | HERMES | Computer Motion, Goieta, CA | Voice controlled integration of operative room components |
| 1993 | AESOP (Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning) | Computer Motion, Goieta, CA | Laparoscopic abdominal surgery |
| 1997 | Prototype of da Vinci surgical system | Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA (founded 1995) | Laparoscopic surgery |
| Late 1990s-2001 | URobot | Nanyang Technological University (NTU - Singapore) | TURP, prostate biopsy, brachytherapy seed placement |
| 1997-2002 | PAKY (Percutaneous access to the kidney) | Johns Hopkins University & Medical Center | Percutaneous access to kidney |
| 1998 | Surgeon programmable urological device (SPUD) | NTU & Dornier Asia medical | TURP, prostate biopsy, brachytherapy seed placement |
| 2000 | da Vinci Surgical System | Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA | Laparoscopic surgery |
| 2001 | Zeus Surgical System | Computer Motion, Goleta, CA | Laparoscopic surgery |
| 2003 | Merger of Intuitive Surgical & Computer Motion | ||
| 2004 | Robotic system forTRUS prostate | Johns Hopkins University | Trans-rectal ultrasound guided biopsy of prostate |
| 2006 | Robotic system for TRUS guided brachy therapy | Johns Hopkins University | Trans-rectal ultrasound guided brachytherapy |
| 2006 | Type S da Vinci robotic system | Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA | Laparoscopic surgery |
| 2009 | Type Si da Vinci robotic system | Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA | Laparoscopic surgery |
| 2009 | Robotic Doppler Micro Probe | Vascular Technology, Nashua, NH | Doppler for vascular identification during robotic microsurgical procedures |