New Simulation Center to Improve Training for Surgeons, Using da Vinci System

SEATTLE and ORLANDO, Fla., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new collaboration between Florida Hospital Celebration Health and Mimic Technologies will add the latest robotic simulation training technology to the now world-recognized Nicholson Center.  The agreement will result in improved surgical training for physicians using the da Vinci robot.

The da Vinci is a complex surgical device that requires advanced skill for effective utilization. The new improvements in training for the center will bring together physicians, surgeons, surgical teams, and allied health professionals to conduct research; develop and incubate the latest technologies, products, techniques, and processes; and create training curricula to advance the field of robotic surgery. Simulation training is rapidly being adopted as hospitals seek to minimize the learning curve associated with robotic surgery. Mimic Technologies, the company responsible for da Vinci robot simulation, has provided the latest simulation technology to Florida Hospital to help meet the demand for better training.

"If we are going to increase the success of our surgeries, we need partners nationwide to standardize the best simulation training possible," said Vipul Patel, M.D., medical director of the Global Robotic Institute and editor in chief of the Journal of Robotic Surgery. "We must make strides to improve our performance in something as complex and necessary as robotic surgery."

Mimic will help develop simulation-based curricula that will accelerate the adoption of the latest robotic technologies and techniques. Research and development projects focused on medical robotics will advance training and innovation for the global community.  The Nicholson Center headquarters is located at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Celebration, with additional locations at Florida Hospital, Orlando and numerous other Florida Hospital campuses and international facilities.

Today, there are over 2,200 da Vinci Systems installed in over 1,500 hospitals worldwide. The da Vinci System has been used in hundreds of thousands of surgeries to date. However, there are major challenges to providing adequate training for surgeons new to this complex robotic system. Florida Hospital has created a center that will now utilize the latest technology in robotic simulation training in an effort to set the standard for academic medical centers and professional organizations.

"This new partnership focuses on educating surgeons at Florida Hospital and beyond about the importance of effective training, in order to save lives and improve cost and quality," says Jeff Berkley, founder and CEO of Mimic Technologies.   "It is our hope that access to quality simulation training will minimize the need for training on animals and patients, while moving surgeons more rapidly up the learning curve."

The new simulator technology will also reduce training time spent on the actual da Vinci device, freeing up the surgical robot for elective patient surgeries. Robotic simulation training also reduces costs, as simulation training does not consume disposable instruments or training material. There is also the potential for improving the efficiency of novice surgeons when performing their first robotic cases. The comparisons listed here are similar to the savings resulting from laparoscopic simulation training, as demonstrated by the Frost & Sullivan ROI study for Medical Simulation Training.

In addition to research collaboration, Mimic Technologies will provide Florida Hospital with numerous dV-Trainers to support robotics classes based entirely on simulation. The simulators utilize independently validated exercises built on a surgical simulation platform that enables highly realistic training scenarios targeted to accelerated surgeon learning.

About Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement

The 35,000-square-foot Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement at Florida Hospital was built in 2006 and hosts over 20,000 surgeons annually. The center includes an international surgical training and education program that will continue to train surgeons annually in Central Florida. These surgeons come from around the world for educational conferences on the latest and best surgical techniques and technologies provided by global fortune 500 health care leaders.

About Mimic Technologies

Mimic Technologies, headquartered in Seattle, was founded in 2001 to provide leadership in robotic surgery simulation and training. Together with leading institutions, Mimic continues to develop next generation learning tools and curricula that aim to advance robotic surgery training and improve patient safety. Mimic's mission is to set the standard for simulation and training in medical robotics by continuing to provide needed software, and market leading haptic interfaces.  Visit Mimic Technologies at www.MimicSimulation.com.

SOURCE Mimic Technologies