Transatlantischer Gallenschnitt !! -Computer Motion Inc. - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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Transatlantischer Gallenschnitt!

Ende November soll der Roboter ZEUS einem Patienten in Frankreich die Gallenblase entfernen. Der Chirurg, der den Eingriff durchführt, sitzt in den USA, auf der anderen Seite des Ozeans, vor seinem Steuercomputer - die erste vollständige Operation über eine solche Distanz.
Der Roboter ZEUS, der in einer Straßburger Klinik die Schneidearbeit erledigt, wurde von der US-Firma COMPUTER MOTION Inc. entwickelt.
Er besteht aus drei gelenkigen Armen, die sich extrem präzise bewegen. So kann ZEUS einen Bypass legen durch eine winzige Öffnung im Brustkorb - bei schlagendem Herzen. In Paris hat ein Chirurg vor wenigen Tagen mit ZEUS` Hilfe eine Niere auf minimal-invasive Weise entfernt: Vier Öffnungen von höchstens zehn Millimeter Durchmesser genügten. Bisher sass bei solchen Operationen der Chirurg direkt neben dem OP-Tisch an dem Monitor, von dem aus ZEUS dirigiert wird.
Beim ersten Interkontinental-Test soll nun ein schnelles Glasfaserkabel sicherstellen, dass die Daten ohne Verzögerung hin- und hersausen.
Die Herstellerfirma ist nicht nur von Rekordlust getrieben. Sie will ihre Technik für den Einsatz an Orten empfehlen, zu denen der Arm des Artztes nicht reicht - sei es auf dem Schlachtfeld oder in der Intenationalen Raumstation.

Quelle: Der Spiegel, 16.10.2000

Computer Motion Inc., The Leader in Medical Robotics (Nasdaq: RBOT)
(Deutschland: CUO, 909362)

Eine sicher vielversprechende Firma mit viel Potentzial:
Quartalsbericht 3Q:
Computer Motion Reports Record Quarterly Revenue of $6.2 Million; Positive Outlook for Record Revenues in Q4

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 12, 2000--Computer Motion Inc. (Nasdaq:RBOT), the pioneer and leader in medical robotics, today announced record revenue of approximately $6.2 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2000. The company anticipates releasing its complete financial results for the quarter on October 26, 2000, and will have a conference call and webcast at that time. Computer Motion also announced that it has raised $8.3 million in equity investments year to date via private placements and a warrant exercise program. For the quarter, the company raised $3.4 million. The company`s cash balance at the end of the quarter increased to $4.5 million.

"We are focused on continually achieving new heights in financial growth, market penetration and clinical procedures performed," stated Robert W. Duggan, chairman and CEO of Computer Motion. "We enter Q4 with an excellent sales funnel. All indications point to another new record in revenues. Computer Motion has long been recognized as the pioneer and established leader in medical robotics. Our clinical and technical expertise along with our outstanding customer service is driving the accelerated adoption of advanced minimally invasive surgery for improved patient outcomes. This evolving new era portends a significant increase in the productivity of minimally invasive care providers and our ultimate customer the hospital patient who benefits from the quick recovery times and nominal pain associated with the ever expanding minimally invasive approach to improved patient care. This evolution is happening and we are happy to be supporting hospitals around the world in this important endeavor," added Mr. Duggan.

Computer Motion is a high-tech medical device company equipping surgeons to enhance life by evolving minimally invasive surgical practices. The company develops, manufactures and markets proprietary computer-enhanced and robotic surgical systems, which extend surgeons` capabilities, improve outcomes and reduce costs. To date, the Computer Motion family of products has safely assisted more than 100,000 minimally invasive procedures across a broad range of surgical disciplines. Computer Motion`s products include the voice-controlled AESOP(R) endoscope positioning system; the HERMES(TM) Control Center, a centralized system which enables the surgeon to voice control a network of "smart" medical devices; and the ZEUS Robotic Surgical System for new minimally invasive microsurgery procedures, such as endoscopic, beating heart bypass surgery. The ZEUS System is CE-Marked for commercial sale in the European Community and is co-marketed by Computer Motion and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT). The company`s Web site is www.ComputerMotion.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the company`s business and products. Actual results may differ materially depending on a number of risk factors, including the risks of competition and competing technologies, duration or suspension of clinical studies, regulatory clearances and approvals, and physician, hospital and payor acceptance of the company`s products. These factors and other risks inherent in the company`s business are described from time to time in the company`s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K. The company undertakes no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

RBOT steht zur Zeit bei 7,88$.

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Computer Motion Announces Record Third Quarter Revenue and Gross Profit
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 26, 2000--


Quarterly Conference Call Scheduled for 11:00 am PT; Simultaneous Webcast to be Found at www.ComputerMotion.com

Computer Motion, Inc. (Nasdaq:RBOT), the pioneer and leader in medical robotics, announced today its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2000.

Revenue for the quarter totaled $6,211,000, a 16% increase from revenue of $5,358,000 in last year`s third quarter. Orders booked totaled $6,849,000 with an approximate net of $638,000 deferred to later periods under the Computer Motion revenue recognition policy. The gross profit of $3,666,000 was 59% of sales, exceeding the previous year quarter results ($3,215,000), a percentage increase of 14%.

All three of the Computer Motion platforms (AESOP(R), HERMES(TM) and ZEUS(TM)) showed very strong results in the quarter. The ZEUS sales of $3,236,000 (net of deferred revenue) set a quarterly record. Quarterly AESOP revenues of $1,730,000 were also strong. HERMES sales to strategic partners of $469,000 added significant revenues to our quarterly results. Record revenues were also set for the important category of recurring revenue with $527,000 realized during the quarter.

Net loss for the quarter totaled $3,597,000 ($0.38 per share) compared to $1,983,000 ($0.23 per share) for the same period in 1999. The increased loss resulted primarily from the continuing investment in FDA clinical trials and procedure development. Weighted average common shares outstanding increased to 9,509,000 at September 30, 2000 compared to 8,540,000 on September 30, 1999.

"This quarter reflects a continued upward slope for the company in terms of installed systems, user utilization, completed procedures and clinical breakthroughs," said Robert W. Duggan, Chairman and CEO of Computer Motion. "These trends speak to the surgical evolution underway with medical robotics and computers. Computer Motion embraces the challenge to make this a common reality in a relatively short time frame. Hospitals around the world are choosing to get started today, in order to begin realizing the patient benefits and promising productivity improvements," added Duggan.

For the first time, the revenue attributed to the "rest of world" exceeded the American revenue. Duggan commented, "The third quarter is seasonally slow across most businesses throughout Europe, so record revenue for that division during this time period bodes well for the fourth quarter and beyond. Growing market acceptance of the role that intelligent, interactive, and speech-commanded robotic tools and devices are destined to play has turned decidedly positive. In France, the AESOP Endoscope Positioner is now approved for Public Assistance funding (government support). In Germany, we closed our second ZEUS account and have reached an agreement for a third ZEUS system to be delivered in the fourth quarter. On the AESOP front, strong patient demand for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy to surgically treat prostate cancer patients is driving demand throughout Europe. Pioneered in Europe, this procedure is now knocking on the door of acceptance in the U.S. There are currently more than 30 surgeons at 20 institutions using the AESOP technology to perform this more patient-friendly approach. We anticipate these numbers to only increase, which would prove favorable for AESOP sales in North America for 2001 and beyond."

Duggan continued, "We have also been seeing excellent results with our technology on the cardiac front. In Pensacola, Fla., Thomas Vassiliades, Jr., MD, FACS, has now completed a series of more than 200 single vessel Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) to Left Anterior Descending (LAD) coronary bypass procedures using the AESOP technology. The two and a half hour average operative times, three hour ICU times and 48 hour hospital stays have generated tremendous patient buzz and have caught the attention of his local cardiologists. This one community is now generating up to three plus cases per week! Pensacola may soon become famous for more than the Blue Angel Flying Team."

Duggan summarized, "We remain in the very early days of an inevitable revolution in human healthcare. Patients around the world want surgery with less pain and less recovery time. Intelligent, interactive robotics in the hands of trained surgeons is ushering in this new era. Societal benefits from this new technology and the pioneering efforts of talented surgeons are huge. Much hard work remains, but the pathway to increased success and eventual profitability is being defined. At Computer Motion we look to the future with real optimism. The year 2001 should see us return to our historical rates of growth which have exceeded 50% on an annualized basis."


Computer Motion will host a teleconference call today at 11:00 am PT (2:00 pm ET) to discuss its results for the period ended September 30, 2000. To participate in the call, call 952/448-9424 and ask to be connected to the Computer Motion earnings conference call. A live Webcast will also be available at www.ComputerMotion.com. For parties interested in a replay of the call, a digital playback will be available through November 3, 2000 at 800/615-3210 or 703/326-3020, code 4710834. An archive of the Webcast will also be available until November 10, 2000 at www.ComputerMotion.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements concerning the company`s business and products. Actual results may differ materially depending on a number of risk factors, including the risks of competition and competing technologies, duration or suspension of clinical studies, regulatory clearances and approvals, and physician, hospital and payor acceptance of the company`s products. These factors and other risks inherent in the company`s business are described from time to time in the company`s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K. The company undertakes no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.



COMPUTER MOTION, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30 September 30
2000 1999 2000 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $ 6,211 $ 5,358 $ 13,541 $ 14,009
Cost of revenue 2,545 2,143 5,616 5,836

Gross profit 3,666 3,215 7,925 8,173

Research & development
expense 2,983 2,134 8,552 6,665
Selling, general &
administrative expense 4,235 3,202 11,504 9,166

Total operating expense 7,218 5,336 20,056 15,831

Loss from operations (3,552) (2,121) (12,131) (7,658)
Other expense/(income) 39 (145) 76 (572)
Loss before income taxes (3,591) (1,976) (12,207) (7,086)
Income tax provision 6 7 18 20

Net loss $ (3,597) $ (1,983) $(12,225) $ (7,106)

Weighted average common
shares outstanding used
to compute net loss per
share - basic and diluted 9,509 8,540 9,022 8,449

Loss per share - basic
and diluted $ (0.38) $ (0.23) $ (1.36) $ (0.84)


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[derhaase]

Hier eine kleine Jahreshistory der Facts um RBOT:
Hoffentlich schlägt deren Stunde bald. Wenn man sich den Chart der letzten Jahre so anschaut, fallen mir nur philosophische Fragen ein.


October 26, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES RECORD THIRD QUARTER REVENUE AND GROSS PROFIT
Quarterly conference call scheduled for 11:00 am PT; simultaneous Webcast to be found at www.ComputerMotion.com
October 12, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION REPORTS RECORD QUARTERLY REVENUE OF $6.2 MILLION
Positive Outlook for Record Revenues in Q4

September 27, 2000
SURGEON COMPLETES WORLD`S FIRST MINIMALLY INVASIVE KIDNEY REMOVAL USING ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE
Procedure demonstrates the ZEUS™ Surgical System value for urologic applications

September 21, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES FDA APPROVAL TO BEGIN A MULTI-CENTER CARDIAC BYPASS STUDY
FDA regulatory strategy to span five major surgical disciplines

September 8, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION FOUNDER SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING SYMPOSIUM

September 6, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION RECEIVES ADDITIONAL BROAD-BASED PATENT TO COVER ANOTHER KEY CONCEPT IN MEDICAL ROBOTICS
Computer Motion plans to add ninth patent to Intuitive Surgical infringement lawsuit

July 28, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ROBOTIC AND VOICE-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY TO BE FEATURED AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

July 28, 2000
MORE THAN 20 INSTITUTIONS PERFORMING ENDOSCOPIC RADICAL PROSTATECTOMIES WITH ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE
More than 30 surgeons around the world are using a minimally invasive approach to treat prostate cancer with the Computer Motion AESOP® robotic arm

July 27, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES RECORD RESULTS
Record quarterly revenues and gross profit reported for second quarter

July 13, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION REPORTS RECORD QUARTERLY REVENUE

July 12, 2000
FDA DECISION WILL EXPEDITE REGULATORY CLEARANCE PROCESS FOR MEDICAL ROBOTICS

July 10, 2000
MORE THAN 500 ENDOSCOPIC RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY PROCEDURES COMPLETED WITH ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE
Computer Motion AESOP® 3000 with Voice Control is key factor in advanced minimally invasive surgery

July 3, 2000
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GASTHUISBERG LEUVEN COMPLETES FIRST ROBOTIC GALL BLADDER REMOVAL PROCEDURE

June 21, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION WINS INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL MARKETING AWARD
Medical Marketing Association awards the Gold IN-AWE for Annual Report

June 6, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION INTERVIEWED ON WALLSTREETREPORTER.COM
CEO Bob Duggan discusses the life-enhancing technology and business strategy

June 2, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION RECEIVES ADDITIONAL BROAD-BASED MEDICAL ROBOTICS PATENT
Computer Motion adds eighth patent to Intuitive Surgical infringement lawsuit

May 26, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION RECEIVES THE EXPORT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT WORLD TRADE WEEK 2000

May 25, 2000
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GASTHUISBERG LEUVEN BEGINS ROBOTIC CARDIAC PROGRAM UTILIZING COMPUTER MOTION TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER INCREASED PATIENT BENEFITS
Surgeon performs world`s first pericardial window procedure with the Computer Motion ZEUS™ Robotic Surgical System

May 24, 2000
MORE THAN 500 ENDOSCOPIC INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY HARVEST PROCEDURES COMPLETED WITH ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE
Computer Motion`s AESOP® 3000 with Voice Control is an initial step in the evolution to closed-chest, beating heart bypass surgery

May 18, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION FILES SUIT AGAINST INTUITIVE SURGICAL FOR MULTIPLE PATENT INFRINGEMENTS

May 16, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES EQUITY INVESTMENT AND DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIP
Kino Corporation investment in capital equipment and common stock with a potential value of more than $26 million over the next 8 years

May 5, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

May 3, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION LAUNCHES THE EVOLVE™ CARDIAC CONTINUUM PROGRAM FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEART SURGERY

May 2, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP OF WORLD`S FIRST ROBOTIC CLOSED-CHEST, BEATING HEART BYPASS PATIENT
The ZEUS Robotic Surgical System™ used to perform a series of endoscopic, off-pump heart bypass surgeries through pencil-sized incisions, providing a truly minimally invasive left ventricular revascularization

May 1, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES FIRST MINIMALLY INVASIVE ROBOTIC HEART VALVE SURGERY IN THE UNITED STATES
The ZEUS™ Robotic Surgical System is approved for a new FDA clinical study on minimally invasive mitral valve procedures

April 26, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

March 30, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF 100,000 COMPUTER AND ROBOTICALLY ASSISTED SURGERIES
Computer Motion technology demonstrates broad clinical acceptance in minimally invasive surgeries .

March 13, 2000
WORLD`S FIRST SERIES OF PEDIATRIC HEART SURGERIES PERFORMED WITH ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE
Computer Motion`s ZEUS™ Robotic Surgical System enables closed-chest cardiac procedure on infants to repair congenital heart defect.

March 1, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION ANNOUNCES RECORD YEARLY REVENUES
Computer Motion solidifies leadership position with expansion of patent portfolio.

March 1, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION RECEIVES TWO PATENTS COVERING ROBOTICALLY ASSISTED HEART BYPASS SURGERY
New patents significantly strengthen leadership position in medical robotics.

February 28, 2000
COMPUTER MOTION NAMES NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

February 1, 2000
MORE THAN 300 MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEART VALVE SURGERY COMPLETED WITH ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE
Computer Motion`s AESOP® 3000 with Voice Control provides robotic visualization in minimally invasive heart valve surgery

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Computer Motion`s EVOLVE Surgical Continuum Used to Perform New Patient-Friendly Prostate Cancer Treatment
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2000--


-- ValleyCare Medical Center integrates robotics to enable new laparoscopic radical prostatectomy procedure --

Computer Motion Inc. (Nasdaq:RBOT), the pioneer and leader in medical robotics, today announced that Drs. Mark Avon and Carlos Gracia of ValleyCare Medical Center (Pleasanton, Calif.) successfully used the Computer Motion EVOLVE(TM) Surgical Continuum to transition from an "open" surgical prostate cancer treatment to a new minimally invasive surgical treatment.

Both surgeons join an extensive network of more than 40 surgical pioneers at 30 U.S. institutions who have performed well more than 800 laparascopic radical prostatectomy procedures worldwide employing Computer Motion`s robotic technology. This group of pioneering surgeons is driving the adoption of this new minimally invasive approach with robotic assistance and setting it as the gold standard treatment for prostate cancer patients.

Drs. Avon and Gracia performed two procedures through four 5-mm surgical ports in the patient`s lower abdomen to remove the patient`s cancerous prostate using the Computer Motion AESOP(R) Endoscope Positioner. The AESOP system is a robotic arm that positions the endoscope (a slender camera inserted into the patient to view the operative site) in response to a surgeon`s simple voice commands and is the first United States Food and Drug Administration approved surgical robot.

According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer affects more than 185,000 American men each year. It is the most common male cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. A radical prostatectomy is the standard treatment for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In a traditional "open" procedure, an eight-inch incision is made in the patient`s lower abdomen to remove the prostate and part of the urethra. The conventional approach is associated with significant pain, major scarring and long recovery time with the increased risk of substantial blood loss, impotence and incontinence.

However, it is believed that a laparoscopic approach to a radical prostatectomy can minimize these negative factors. Dr. Avon, a urologist, committed himself to learning this new minimally invasive approach so that he could deliver an effective but less traumatic treatment to his patients.

To ensure his success, he adopted the Computer Motion EVOLVE Surgical Continuum. The EVOLVE program is designed to support a gradient learning curve to quickly and easily develop the endoscopic and surgical skill set required to transition from "open" surgery to more patient-friendly endoscopic procedures.

He first integrated the Computer Motion Alpha(TM) Virtual Port (designed with direction from Michael D. Black, M.D., of Stanford University Hospital in Stanford, Calif.) into his standard procedure. Used in conjunction with AESOP, the Alpha Port aids the surgeon in developing minimally invasive techniques while performing routine "open" procedures.

It creates a virtual endoscopic port for surgeons to begin learning how to work off a video monitor while performing "open" surgery. Dr. Avon commented, "I was able to develop new minimally invasive skills and became familiar with robotics while maintaining a safe and comfortable surgical environment."

Dr. Avon also decided that his learning curve would be reduced if he had a skilled laparoscopic surgeon assisting him. He teamed up with Dr. Gracia, a laparoscopic general surgeon, for these initial cases, which also helped to educate Dr. Gracia on the urologic procedure and patient anatomy.

In October, Dr. Avon attended a training course on the robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with Bertrand Guillonneau, M.D., and Guy Vallancien, M.D., who helped perfect this minimally invasive approach to treating prostate cancer, at the Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris, France.

This course demonstrated that the laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is safe, feasible, standardized, reproducible and teachable. "AESOP is the enabling technology behind this new minimally invasive treatment option," added Dr. Vallancien.

A laparoscopic approach can take three to five hours to complete, compared to two to three hours for an "open" approach. However, the positive impact to patients cannot be overlooked: less blood loss, minimal hospital stays, complete independence from pain medication and the reduced possibility of impotence and incontinence.

"The outcome with a laparoscopic approach is dramatically different," said Dr. Avon. "The patients were walking around the hospital the next day with no reported discomfort."

The learning curve for a new procedure is expected, which can contribute to longer case times for a surgeon`s initial procedures. It is noteworthy that the team at ValleyCare was able to perform each of their first two cases in approximately five hours.

"I believe these excellent case times were in part due to the incremental steps we followed with the EVOLVE process," said Dr. Avon. "We were able to gain the necessary skills to easily develop the endoscopic and surgical skill set required to safely, effectively and quickly perform this new procedure.

"AESOP is an essential tool for this procedure. Both surgeons have their hands occupied and are working at the operating table. There is little room for a third person to position the endoscope for visualization of the operative site.

"Plus, we were able to work off a perfectly steady operative image, something impossible with a human scope holder. The AESOP system`s compact design and seamless voice control interface make for the perfect solution -- especially during a long, complex case requiring delicate manipulations," he added.

Yulun Wang, Ph.D., founder and chief technical officer of Computer Motion, said, "The early clinical success at ValleyCare is very exciting and encouraging.

"We believe that leading surgeons around the world will continue to use the EVOLVE Continuum to drive the widespread adoption of the new laparoscopic approach to a radical prostatectomy, ultimately becoming a gold standard for prostate cancer patients. The EVOLVE program offers an easy and economical pathway for both the hospital and the surgeon."


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