LivsMed Unveils New Robotic System with Telesurgery Capabilities: Partners with Sovato for Remote-Enabling Technology
'Democratizing robotic surgery isn't just about technology, it's about making it affordable, accessible, and practical for every hospital and patient, no matter where they are."
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In partnership with Sovato, the two companies jointly demonstrated the viability of this transformative approach as part of an early feasibility wet-lab study held across the 2,000-mile distance between Santa Barbara, CA and Chicago, IL. The session showcased LivsMed's STARK robotic system and Sovato's remote surgery and procedure platform.
STARK: Building A New Era in Robotic Surgery
Meeting the challenge of affordability has been central to LivsMed's mission from the outset. Its ArtiSential ® line of handheld robotic instruments, introduced in 2018, offers the dexterity of robotic surgery—often with a greater range of motion than traditional robotic instruments—at a fraction of the cost.
The new STARK robotic system utilizes this core technology, providing 90° of articulation. It represents a dramatic contrast to what is currently available, offering superior agility and a significantly smaller footprint, making it viable for facilities that cannot accommodate large robotic systems.
The Right Ecosystem with The Missing Link - Affordability
Delivering telesurgery requires a complete ecosystem: a reliable network, trained surgeons and staff, new workflows and technology to bridge the distance, and appropriate equipment and supplies. By uniting these components and addressing the critical factor that current robotic technologies have failed to address—affordability—LivsMed is, for the first time, enabling true democratization of robotic surgery.
'Democratizing robotic surgery isn't just about technology,' said Jung Joo Lee, CEO of LivsMed. 'It's about making it affordable, accessible, and practical for every hospital and every patient, no matter where they are. With STARK, we are not only challenging the status quo but also building the foundation for a future where advanced surgical care is truly within reach for all.'
Wet Lab Demonstrates Viability Across 2,000 Miles
Discussing the companies' collaboration, Cynthia Perazzo, Sovato CEO and co-founder noted: 'LivsMed shares our vision to make remote surgery widely accessible and economically sustainable. Our July demonstration showcased the power of combining LivsMed's telesurgery-native STARK robotic system with Sovato's full platform capabilities—delivering a seamless surgeon experience that inspires confidence and trust at any distance.'
During the July 1 st demonstration, LivsMed and Sovato showed the viability of long-distance telesurgery using the STARK platform by performing live procedures with the surgeon console in Santa Barbara, CA and the STARK Robot in Chicago, IL. The clinical teams assessed STARK's emerging remote capabilities and surgical functionality, combined with Sovato's workflows, telepresence, and network performance. This wet lab study will contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting safe, effective, and scalable telesurgery.
Yuman Fong, M.D., Yanghee Woo, M.D., and Max Hazeltine M.D., from City of Hope, whose National Medical Center is named a Top 5 'Best Hospital' in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report, completed multiple procedures remotely on a porcine model. These procedures included a cholecystectomy, gastrojejunostomy, and partial liver resection.
'I was thrilled to try out the new robot for the first time, especially in a remote telesurgery setting,' said Dr. Woo. 'The ease of adaptation with STARK and its capabilities immediately impressed me, especially when I realized the needle could articulate beyond my expectations. Usually, it's a bit of a struggle to find the correct angle for continuous suturing of a bowel anastomosis, but during the procedure, every stitch went exactly where I wanted – without a lot of effort on my part. One might ask if 90° articulation really is needed. I realized its benefits when I was suturing at a horizontal angle. The procedure goes much smoother than expected.'
Yuman Fong, M.D., chair and professor of City of Hope's Department of Surgery and president of Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (CRSA), oversaw the design and completion of the wet lab. He noted the distance between sites provided a valid test of the combined system's efficacy.
'The future of robotic surgery has a remote workflow. We performed remote robotic surgery from Santa Barbara to Chicago – about 2,000 miles apart, a reasonable distance to test important remote surgery workflows,' said Dr. Fong. 'The architecture is different than many of the other architectures on the market; yet, adopting it was seamless. The control felt natural. The response rate was good – even at that distance. I felt like I was working with an old friend, immediately.'
LivsMed and Sovato at SRS2025 Strasbourg, France
Senior Management from each company will be available to discuss the future of telesurgery during the SRS conference in Strasbourg, France beginning July 16 th.
LivsMed's STARK™ RAS system is not approved for use and not for sale.
About LivsMed
LivsMed is a global leader in innovative surgical solutions, dedicated to making advanced robotic surgery accessible to hospitals and patients around the world. Collaborating with physicians worldwide, LivsMed focuses on revolutionizing minimally invasive surgery, advancing patient outcomes, and extending life for patients.
www.LivsMed.us
About Sovato
Sovato's vision is to create unprecedented access to the highest quality care—for everyone, everywhere. Sovato is the first and only whole solution purpose-built to enable safe, scalable, and economically sustainable remote robotic-assisted surgery and procedure programs for healthcare organizations worldwide. Based in Santa Barbara, California, Sovato was co-founded by Cynthia Perazzo, MBA, and industry pioneer Yulun Wang, PhD—founder of Computer Motion (merged with Intuitive Surgical) and InTouch Health (acquired by Teladoc Health).
www.Sovato.com
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