Surgical Robots Make da Vinci Quite Profitable
Intuitive Surgical, manufacturer of the da Vinci line of surgical robots, has been growing strongly through 2005 while commanding a healthy 41 percent profit margin. Its devices, priced at about $1.5 million, have been sold in about 400 hospitals worldwide (three out of four in the US) since they were approved by the FDA in 2000. Product sales account for more than half the company’s $227.3 million revenue for 2005, the rest being brought by services, accessories and instruments sold around the robots. Intuitive Surgical sold 40 da Vinci systems in the last quarter of 2005 alone. Among other things, they are used for more and more prostate removal surgeries. Surgeons appreciate the precision and 12x magnification rate provided by the devices.
Details in the Mercury News, see also a company statement about its Q4 ‘05 financial results. See also: New Top of Line Surgical Robot Launched by Intuitive Surgical.
April 11, 2006 Related topics: Surgery