ROBODOC is a surgical robot that performs total hip and total knee replacement surgeries. In 1992, it was the first robot in the United States to operate on a human patient. Since then, it has performed over 28,000 orthopedic procedures worldwide. Unlike other surgical robots, which are controlled by the surgeon in real-time and take on a more passive role, the ROBODOC is pre-programmed before the operation giving it more autonomy during the procedure. The technology behind this device is the result of collaboration between physicians, medical researchers, engineers, and graduate students.
This 1989 ROBODOC prototype is a modified industrial robot that has been adapted for medical applications. Its development was helped by Howard “Hap” Paul, a doctor of veterinary medicine, and Dr. William Bargar, an orthopedic surgeon. The two met at the University of California, Davis Medical School.
Research and development for the surgical robot began in 1986 when IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center, and researchers at the University of California, Davis began a collaborative initiative of an innovative system for Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). Their goal was to create a robotic surgical system that would redefine precision joint replacement surgery.
By 1990, the system was first used to perform a total hip replacement on a dog with a congenital hip problem. Dr. Paul developed a canine clinical study in which fifteen dogs were treated manually and another twenty-five were treated with robotic assistance. The study was a success and very promising for the burgeoning field of medical robotics.
On November 7, 1992, a surgical team lead by Dr. Bargar at Sutter General Hospital, Sacramento, California, used Robodoc to perform the first robot-assisted human hip replacement. The operation was the first of ten at the hospital approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine the safety and feasibility of the device. The success cleared the way for nationwide clinical trials which began in 1993.
Traditionally in orthopedic procedures, the surgeon manually drills a cavity into the femoral shaft for the implant. This method leaves some space between the bone and implant; the fit is imperfect and sometimes bone cement is used to fill in the gaps. Depending on the age and activity level of the patient, as well as the type of implant received, total hip replacements can have a ten-to-twenty-five-year life on average. The breakdown of the cement from everyday wear may require a revision surgery, which carries further complications such as cleaning out the cement from the cavity. The precision of the ROBODOC allows for cementless implantation which is a better option for young patients who may lead more physically active lives and require an implant to last long-term.
The precise fit is made possible due to the computerized, three-dimensional preoperative planning system. Surgeons previously worked with two-dimensional X-ray to plan the operation and select the implant. ORTHODOC, the preoperative workstation, takes information from the computerized tomography (CT) scan to create a three-dimensional model of the patient’s bone. This allows the surgeon to select an implant and precisely position it within the planned cavity. This data is stored on a tape cartridge, which is inserted into the robot’s computer on the day of the procedure. Laboratory testing showed that the ROBODOC creates cavities in which 95% of the implant is within 1 mm of bone. In contrast, manual techniques yield cavities in which only 20-30% of the implant is within 1 mm of bone. This greater precision encourages bone ingrowth, stability, and reduces the likelihood that revision surgery will be required. It is believed that the benefits of this robot extend beyond the patient. The surgeon is able to practice with better outcomes, and the hospital saves resources as a result of shorter patient stays, shorter operation time, fewer intraoperative complications, and faster recovery times.
"They Lost 49 States / Cal Expo, State Fair Grounds, Sacramento, California - 1972 / McGovern came to the State Fair to speak, but everybody knew it already was a lost cause. Powers said, "These people reflect the hopelessness of George McGovern." He said the attendees of the event got free hotdogs, something he thought we over well with the crowd."
Mind Games with Allen Ginsberg / Sacramento State - 1975 / Ginsberg came to Sacramento for a reading of his powems. Powers was tagging along and nagging him for a photo, but Ginsberg wanted to be left alone with his friends. Ginsberg eventually said he would do a visual hand puzzle for Mark if he would go away. This is the result.
In the late 1960s, a young Irma C. Lerma Barbosa, an original member of the Sacramento Brown Berets chapter, designed and hand-sewed this flag. The organization formed as response to the social inequities confronting ethnic Mexican communities and the need for community protection. Through this flag, Irma gave the working-class Chicana/o youth of Sacramento, committed to the ideals “to observe, serve, and protect,” a symbol of identity, unity, resistance, and power.
The Brown Berets of Sacramento, led by Freddy Rodriguez, proudly displayed this flag during rallies, protests, and community celebrations where they provided security for the community against police brutality and harassment. This flag is an emblem of Mexican American civil rights history and women's significant yet often unacknowledged contributions in the long struggle for social justice, freedom, equality, and self-determination.
The Brown Berets
The Brown Berets, originally organized in 1966 as the Young Citizens for Community Action and later the Young Chicanos for Community Action, formalized in 1967 by working-class Mexican American youths under the leadership of David Sánchez and Carlos Montes in the barrio of East Los Angeles. The organization, modeled in part after the Black Panther Party, ignited a new generation of Chicana/o youth with a new style of politics, one that rejected assimilation into mainstream white society, took pride in their Mexican heritage, and practiced direct action to assert their right to self-determination.
By 1969, the Brown Berets became one of the most prominent Chicana/o organizations, with over 20 chapters nationwide. Their 13-Point Political Program centered on self-determination and social, political, cultural, and economic liberation. The LA chapter supported the health and educational needs of the local community. They created the El Barrio Free Clinic (1968-1970), spearheaded by Gloria Arellanes, Chicana and Tongva heritage, supported high school students during the East LA Walkouts (1968), advocated for the development of ethnic studies on university campuses, and were part of the broad-based coalition the National Chicano Moratorium Committee Against the Vietnam War. The organization also published the newspaper La Causa that ran from 1969 to 1972.
Internal conflicts over leadership and direction led to the disbandment of the organization in 1972. Chicanas in the organization spoke out against the entrenched misogynistic culture of the Berets. Gloria Arellanes created the independent organization Las Adelitas de Aztlán in 1970. Today, several independent Brown Beret chapters remain active across the United States.
About donor:
Irma C. Lerma Barbosa is a Chicana Yaqui painter, printmaker, muralist, performance artist, Chicana civil rights activist, and community organizer deploying art to elevate marginalized voices and ignite collective action in the long struggle for social justice.
Lerma was born on June 10, 1949, in Elko, Nevada, to Yaqui Mexican parents with ancestral roots in the Pascua Yaqui Nation in Arizona and the Sierra Mountains of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. She grew up in Roseville and North Highlands in Sacramento County, California. Lerma became politically involved at an early age. As an agent of change, she worked with local community members and university students to identify and address issues affecting the Mexican community, participating in some of the most influential youth-led organizations of the Chicana/o Movement. Lerma joined the Brown Berets of Sacramento in 1969, later co-founding the Royal Chicano Air Force/RCAF in 1970 and Las CoMadres Artistas in 1992. From the late 1980s-1990s, she continued her commitment to social justice and civic engagement by working in the public and private sectors, including as president of the California State Employees Association, District Labor Council 787- Service Employees International Union.
Tan colored leather boxing gloves lined with cotton padding and laced with white string. Worn by middleweight contender "Soldier" Phil Green. According to the donor, John Green, Phil Green's son, "Soldier" Green was the Middleweight Champion of California around 1898.
Leather practice punching mitt for work on punching bag. Leather lined with cotton padding. Black strap hangs off of it. Used by middleweight contender "Soldier" Phil Green. According to the donor, John Green, Phil Green's son, "Soldier" Green was the Middleweight Champion of California around 1898.
