Medtronic’s Hugo robot-assisted surgery system [Image courtesy of Medtronic]
There’s excitement at Medtronic after the Hugo robotic surgery platform hit a major regulatory milestone.
In 2012, Covidien formed an incubator called “Project Einstein,” focusing on combining robotic technology, data and analytics. What could they create?
About nine years later, the product that emerged from Project Einstein made a significant step forward when the Hugo robotic-assisted surgical system received CE mark approval in Europe.
Plenty happened between then and now, with Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) buying Covidien in one of medtech’s largest acquisitions and Project Einstein’s work carrying on through as Hugo hit its biggest milestone in the regulatory process so far.
Megan Rosengarten, who was part of Project Einstein and now serves as president of Medtronic’s surgical robotics business, said that the excitement brought on by European approval harkens back to the early days of Hugo’s development.
“It goes back to that origin story of how we started this with Project Einstein,” Rosengarten told MassDevice. “It’s the idea and belief that robotic technology could bring quality minimally invasive care to more patients.”