Breaking news: SSii launches Mantra 3 - 3rd generation modular surgical robot
- Steve Bell
- Jun 13, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Has surgical robotics just got a new leader in modular surgical robotics?
Indian based SSii (SS Innovations Inc) has just dropped a surprise announcement on their new Mantra 3 modular robotics system with a hap of new features:
Potentially now the best and most capable modular soft tissue modular robot on the market.
5 arms (1 scope and 4 instruments ) can be used at the same time
Elimination of the "console" as a known console
AR headset
Removal of haptic arms to magnetic field controllers
New arm design
5G and RF telesurgery - with <100 m/s delay coming
Twin operator ability to use the 5 arms
Built in teleproctoring and video collection
40 plus instruments available - including a cardiac range
Initial view of 6 second cardiac vessel coupler
And don't forget the announcement by Surgical legend Fred Moll
Find out the details below:
Brand New Arms
This is the first system with the approval of the use of 5 arms in a procedure. That allows the use of the high end Olympus fully flexible HD 3D scope - with HD outputs to the 4K OR staff screen on one arm. And then up to 4 instruments that can be controlled by a single operator - or combining two cockpit chairs you can do duel operator from anywhere.
The arms have been made smaller with a smaller footprint - and lower weight. Plus they have been slimmed down to help reduce the chance of arm collisions. The slimming down has been important in helping to get multiple arms around the table - and reduce their profile for clash.
New Cockpit for the SSii Mantra 3
In an effort to make this capable to "almost operate from home" eventually - the team has removed the concept of a current "console" and have reimagined the console by turning it into an integrated cockpit chair - with no screen (there is one as an. option for those that prefer - which is mart to give optionality.)
But this chair has all the controlls built in - with two floating non haptic arm hand controllers. They use magnetic field sensing to understand location and direction to allow tools to be moved and wrists of the instruments to be articulated.
The one disadvantage is that like Asensus Luna - you lose the ability to have force feedback and that may become the new currency in surgical robotics.
A set of foot pedals allow clutching (plus finger clutching) and new pedal "Toggle" to switch between all the arms very quickly.
Demonstrated below by the CEO and founder Dr Sudhir Srivastava
The screen is replaced with a mixed reality high definition headset that projects a 42 inch screen for the user in 3D. This is light - and allows the user to see the screen but still see the entire operating room and be situationally aware of what the arms are doing.
This new innovative cockpit design allows a smaller console footprint - and potentially it allows (if you have two of them) dual operators to do combined surgeries - within the same room - or technically you can have two operators in two different locations and the patient in a third location.
New Tower
There is a sleek looking new tower that has 5G capability and potentially Starlink connectivity, video to the cloud, proctoring and pre operative planning etc.
It has a full size 4K screen for the OR team. This is fed by the flexible Olympus Endoeye scope - giving steerability with the 3D scope. But it does not yet seem to have an integrated high flow insufflator connected to the electrosurgery unit.
New and interesting Instruments
One very interesting announcement was the cardiac vessel rapid anastamotic coupler - that promises an anastamosis in 6 seconds.
There was also a hint at advanced energy, and other advanced instruments coming.
What is critical is that they have 40 instruments - probably the widest range of instruments after da Vinci. But critically they have the range of cardiac instruments - this is a major unique selling proposition for SSii.
A big announcement was the soon to be added reusable stapling products that could be used up to 100 times.
Telesurgery 5G and Starlink
Mantra 2 did the first 5G telesurgery in India - which the company thinks is an important future for robotic surgery in India - and a way to bring high quality surgeons to more rural parts of India.
Mantra 3 is built to be used for telesurgery - with connection capabilities (including they hinted at the use of 100 m/s latency Starlink)
This also allows distance - built in - teleproctoring - via virtual reality headsets. Plus critically telesurgical operating with potentially two surgeons in different locations.
Some Numbers
Over 50 systems deployed in India.
35 Live demos.
over 1400 procedures
70 Procedure types
400+ staff trained including 300 surgeons
Fred Moll announcement
Dr Fred Moll (grandfather of surgical robotics) joined the call and announced he will become the vice chair of SSii - so that is a big vote of confidence for this company. He talked of the history of robotics and stressed the importance of SSii focusing to return to his original idea of keeping surgical robotics affordable.
He was impressed with the fact that from Mantra 2 to Mantra 3 was completed in just 5 months - which is pretty staggering.
FDA and CE mark are under way and they already have clearnces in multiple terrtories.
See the full launch video here:
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