Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced that it entered into an agreement with Flex for surgical robot manufacturing services.
Specifically, the company struck a deal with Flex for design and advanced manufacturing services for its Luna next-generation robot.
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based Asensus unveiled the Luna platform in February. It designed Luna as an integrated digital surgery solution. The system features a next-generation surgical platform and instruments, plus real-time intraoperative clinical intelligence.
Its final component, a secure cloud platform, applies machine learning to deliver clinical insights. Altogether, the Luna platform enables Asensus’ vision of performance-guided surgery. Asensus said in August that it has its sights set on FDA clearance for Luna in 2025.
Under the agreement, Flex will provide a range of services across Luna’s product lifecycle. The deal aims to enable Asensus to deliver the platform at scale and faster. It includes design for manufacturing services to assess and improve Luna’s manufacturability.
“Luna is poised to revolutionize the way surgery is performed, and our top priority is to get the platform to market as quickly and reliably as possible,” said Anthony Fernando, Asensus Surgical president and CEO. “Flex’s proven track record of delivering complex electromechanical systems across diverse industries and deep understanding of the complex requirements for medical devices will enable us to accelerate time-to-market for our Luna platform.”
Fernando added that Flex’s capabilities and supply chain network will be “instrumental” in scaling Luna globally.
“Our collaboration with Asensus Surgical will enable them to deliver the Luna platform to market faster, reliably, and sustainably, making next-generation surgical robotics solutions more accessible to patients worldwide,” said Randy Clark, president, health solutions, Flex.
More good Senhance news
On top of the latest positive step for Luna, Asensus had more good news for its flagship Senhance surgical robotic platform. The company confirmed that it sold a Senhance system to its distribution partner for placement in a pediatric hospital in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.
Just last week, Asensus announced a Senhance placement in Germany. That came after Mayo Clinic recently took up a pediatric program in the U.S., while the company also has several programs ongoing in Japan.
“We’re pleased to see the increasing adoption of Senhance by pediatric-focused hospitals,” Fernando said. “Senhance’s specialized technology such as 3mm instrumentation, 5mm camera scope, and advanced clinical intelligence, offers the potential to reduce invasiveness and enhance precision, particularly in pediatric patients. We look forward to extending these capabilities to more pediatric hospitals and patients globally, ultimately contributing to an improved standard of patient care.”