The surgeon also can automatically visualize pathology results during surgery. Hermes also allows the surgeon instant access to medical information from the patient's digital medical records. A voice card inserted into the system assures that Hermes will obey verbal commands only from the surgeon. Additionally, operating room staff members can input manual commands through use of a touch-screen pendant. Through visual and voice feedback, Hermes also provides the staff with important information on the status of each device.
Visual feedback is provided through a video monitor.
Hermes gives audio feedback to let the surgeon know if there is a problem with a device that is malfunctioning or disconnected. The camera, positioned at the end of a slender tube, is inserted into the patient through an inch-long incision. In a traditional operating room, a nurse or surgical assistant would hold the camera. The system permits surgeons to perform delicate microsurgical procedures such as minimally invasive heart bypass surgery while the heart is still beating, using only several incisions about the diameter of a pencil. Zeus also enhances the surgeon's view of the operating field by magnifying the organs.