The Zeus System Explained

This is how the Zeus robotic system looks during a surgical procedure. Seated at an ergonomically designed workstation (below left and right), the surgeon operates handles designed to resemble conventional surgical instruments while the instrument tips work inside the patient’s body. The robotic system translates the surgeon’s hand movements, then scales them into precise surgical micromovements at the operative site. Hand tremor is filtered out by the computer controller. The system improves surgeon dexterity by enhancing the tactile feedback the surgeon receives from the instruments.

The system has three surgeon-controlled robotic arms (left). One arm holds the endoscope — a specially designed surgical camera inserted inside the patient to view the operative site. It is positioned in response to the surgeon’s voice commands and provides the operative picture to a monitor at the workstation. The other arms hold the surgical instruments and are controlled by handles at the surgeon’s workstation.