The da Vinci single port, launched in the US in 2018 by Intuitive Surgical, requires only one small incision because the camera and three instruments are grouped in one shaft.
The single-arm design — which Cadeddu likens to an octopus — allows for greater range of motion and minimizes collisions between instruments.
The da Vinci provides deep and narrow access to tissue, while the MARS system uses magnetic forces for precise tissue retraction and manipulation of internal organs.
An external magnet on the patient’s skin controls a magnetic grasper inside the body.