Intuitive Surgical said Tuesday it opened Center for Surgical Innovation in Digital Media City, located in western Seoul, to expand the use of surgical robots in the country and showcase its latest model, the da Vinci X.

The company built its surgical innovation center according to a business agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government in April, company officials said in a news conference Tuesday.

Intuitive Surgical CEO Gary Guthart

“The opening of the Center for Surgical Innovation is just the next step of deepening our relations and investments in Korea,” said Intuitive Surgical CEO Gary S. Guthart. “The opportunity for improvement in surgery is very high so our choice to be here is an easy one. We want to partner with technology companies, medical professionals, and hospitals to improve patient outcomes.”

The center will provide professional training and access to da Vinci systems for medical professionals and students, company officials said. The center holds seven da Vinci systems in five workspaces. Medical workers will also be able to access state-of-the-art video conferencing systems to work and collaborate with other organizations around the world. The center also has a lecture room and two demonstration rooms, the company said.

The general public, including teenagers, will also be able to access the center, and anyone interested in robotic surgery will be able to get hands-on experience with the da Vinci system.

The company also showcased the latest of its robotic surgery line, da Vinci X, designed to be more affordable than its existing products and have the same capabilities. The new model is upgradeable and has some unique features not seen on the Si model such as voice and laser guidance systems, a lightweight endoscope, and a 3D optics system, the company said.

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The Silicon Valley-based company first came to Korea in 2005 and made the first set of investments in 2012, according to Guthart. It currently operates in 66 countries. Around 4 million patients have had a da Vinci surgery, including 80,000 Korean patients, the CEO said.

Intuitive Surgical Korea said it plans to strengthen collaboration with domestic and overseas medical societies, hospitals, and universities to promote research and expand the use of the da Vinci system for various diseases, it said.

“Intuitive Surgical Korea has cooperated with excellent domestic medical workers since its entry into Korea in 2012,” said Intuitive Korea Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sohn Swan. “The Center for Surgical Innovation is the fruit of our efforts, and we hope to continue to share our innovative technology with more medical professionals.”

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