New FDA clearance for the da Vinci SP

"Since the initial U.S. FDA clearance in April 2014 for the da Vinci SP surgical system, Intuitive invested in important platform refinements. Intuitive plans to launch the da Vinci SP surgical system in the United States in a measured fashion, with customer shipments beginning in the third quarter of 2018.

Intuitive Surgical announced a new U.S. FDA clearance for the da Vinci SP surgical system for urologic surgical procedures that are appropriate for a single port approach.

 The da Vinci SP system provides surgeons with robotic-assisted technology designed for deep and narrow access to tissue in the body. The ability to enter the body through a single, small incision helps surgeons perform more complex procedures. Intuitive anticipates pursuing further regulatory clearances for da Vinci SP, including transoral, transanal, and extraperitoneal applications, broadening the applicability of the SP platform over time. 

 “The da Vinci SP is the latest in our integrated product family that shows our commitment to improving minimally invasive surgery with technology that can positively impact patient outcomes,” said Gary Guthart, chief executive officer for Intuitive. “Our da Vinci SP compliments da Vinci X and Xi systems by enabling surgeons to access narrow workspaces while maintaining high quality vision, precision, and control that surgeons have come to trust from da Vinci systems.”  

The da Vinci SP system includes three, multi-jointed, wristed instruments and the first da Vinci fully wristed 3D HD camera. The instruments and the camera all emerge through a single cannula and are properly triangulated around the target anatomy to avoid external instrument collisions that can occur in narrow surgical workspaces. The system enables flexible port placement and excellent internal and external range of motion (e.g., 360-degrees of anatomical access) through the single SP arm. Surgeons control the fully articulating instruments and the camera on the da Vinci SP system, which uses the same surgeon console as the da Vinci X and Xi systems."

The market received the news very well, ISRG shares rose significantly. 

Source: Intuitive Surgical, Seeking Alpha