Media Advisory

October 20, 2003

National Centre To Advance Minimally Invasive Surgery Opens New Facility

(LONDON, Ontario) CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics), established by the federal and provincial governments to be Canada's national centre to test and advance the next generation of minimally invasive surgery, including robotics, is moving into its new $12 million facility.

CSTAR is a world leader in research and training to advance patient care. CSTAR is the first in the world to bring together interdisciplinary teams that include engineers, computer scientists and researchers who will work with surgeons to discover new frontiers in minimally invasive surgery.

The new facility features testing and training labs equipped with the latest tools for minimally invasive surgery, including 3 dimensional imaging, computer assisted surgery and surgical robots, such as the four-armed da Vinci robot, which is the first in Canada and only one of 11 in the world.

CSTAR occupies the top two levels of the new five-storey Legacy Research Pavilion at the University Campus of London Health Sciences Centre. CSTAR is a collaborative research program of London Health Sciences Centre and the Lawson Health Research Institute, and is affiliated with the University of Western Ontario.

The media is invited to attend CSTAR's grand opening and hear about the future of patient care, including telementoring and telesurgery, as well as tour the facility.

Visit CSTAR's Web site at http://www.c-star.ca

Date:	Friday, October 24, 2003
Time:	10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location::	London Health Sciences Centre UniversityCampus, 339 Windermere Road London, Ontario Legacy Research Pavilion, 6th floor (Take main elevators in the front lobby of the hospital to the 6th floor and follow the signs.)