Essentia Health hosting “Meet the Robots” event at St. Mary’s Medical Center

Essentia Health is on the cutting edge of robotic and AI-assisted technologies in health care. For three days next week, we are offering patients the opportunity to see live demonstrations with four of our most advanced and most-used surgical robots.

The event kicks off at noon on Monday, July 22, and continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, and 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, July 24. It will be held in the atrium at St. Mary’s Medical Center, located at 402 E. Second St. in Duluth.

Each day, folks will be able to see exactly how the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, Medtronic’s Mazor X spinal surgery system, the Mako Robot and Auris Health’s Monarch Platform operate.

We will be performing demonstrations with each one using various models. In some cases, attendees can even try the robots out for themselves to see how they work and how robotics and AI are integrated into Essentia.

The da Vinci is used for a variety of different surgeries and operates as an extension of a surgeon’s eyes and hands. Equipped with four movable arms and a laser guidance system, the robotic-assisted tool is less invasive and helps reduce recovery times for patients.

With the Mazor X, neurosurgeons can minimize spine-surgery recovery while maximizing results. It uses 3D surgery planning, intra-operative guidance and verification tools to help surgeons perform precise, effective spinal surgeries to treat a variety of back and neck problems.

The Mako robotic arm combines digital planning, computer technology and surgical techniques for more accurate and less invasive hip and knee replacements.

The Monarch is an innovative technology for the diagnosis of lung cancer that helps with earlier diagnosis and assistance in surgeries to remove and/or biopsy lung nodules. The technology integrates the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science and endoscopy — or the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings. 

We invite the community to this free, three-day event to have all their questions answered about all the positives that come with robotic-assisted technology.