FDA sets surgical robot in motion

Computer Motion, a maker of high-tech medical devices, said Monday that it has received regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for the clinical use of its Socrates Robotic Telecollaboration System. In reviewing Socrates, the company said, the FDA created a new classification of medical devices called "Robotic Telemedicine Devices."

Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Computer Motion expects that Socrates will help create new ways to train surgeons. Socrates is designed to allow an off-site surgeon to connect to an operating room, share video and audio, annotate surgical instructions and control endoscopic camera positioners. Surgeons can then share diagnostic and treatment recommendations. --Natalie Weinstein, Special to ZDNet News