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10 surgical robotics companies you need to know

The surgical robotics space saw a major shakeup last year. The da Vinci SP surgical robotics system [Image courtesy of Intuitive Surgical]“Robotics is hard. Robotics in healthcare is hard.”

Hani Abouhalka, Johnson & Johnson’s company group chair for Robotics & Digital, said those words at our DeviceTalks West event in California in October.

It pretty much sums up the situation for medtech companies large and small that sought to compete against Intuitive in the soft-tissue surgical robotics space. Despite the increased competition, Intuitive remains the undisputed leader. It’s even moving forward on a next-gen da Vinci robot.

For its part, Johnson & Johnson is sticking with plans to develop its Ottava surgical robot. J&J now plans to submit Ottava for FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) in the second half of 2024 in order to start clinical trials.

Even though it is sticking with robotic surgery, J&J laid off employees in th…

Asensus makes first pediatric surgical robot placement in Japan

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that Nagoya University Hospital in Japan agreed to lease a surgical robot system.

The hospital entered into an agreement to utilize the Senhance surgical system in its pediatric surgery department. This agreement took place at the end of December. It marks the first pediatric installation in Japan and the fourth globally for Asensus and Senhance in 2023.

It also marks further expansion for the company in Japan. About a year ago, Asensus placed a Senhance system at Kitakyushu General Hospital in Japan. That came just after a December 2022 Senhance placement in Kashiwa. Additionally, In September 2022, Saiseikai Shiga Hospital in Ritto, Japan, agreed to lease a surgical robot.

Asensus designed Senhance for use in general laparoscopic and laparoscopic gynecological procedures. The company won FDA clearance fo…

Asensus Surgical shows off its next-gen robot to surgeons

The Luna surgical robotics platform. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that it conducted an in vivo lab evaluation of its next-generation Luna surgical robot.

This evaluation marks the latest milestone for the company’s new system over the past year. Asensus first unveiled the next-generation robot in February of last year. The integrated digital surgery solution 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.

Luna features a dextrous 5mm TrueWrist instrument range, a unique surgeon console and ergonomic benefits. It has up to four independent robotic manipulator arms for procedural flexibility, alongside a unique instrument drive system supporting various advanced instrumentation options.

In August, Asensus outlined a timeline for Luna, wh…

Asensus makes another Senhance surgical robot sale

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that it made another sale of its Senhance surgical robot system.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based Asensus made the sale to its distribution partner. The latest sale of Senhance means the system will be placed in a hospital in the Commonwealth of Independent States region, which includes Russia and many other former Soviet republics. It marks the second system sold in the region in the past month.

“We are excited to be partnering with yet another institution to initiate a Senhance program to deliver better patient outcomes,” noted Anthony Fernando, President and CEO of Asensus Surgical. “Hospitals continue to recognize the value of our advanced digital laparoscopic platform, which leverages Augmented Intelligence to enable consistently superior outcomes. We’re particularly enthusiastic abou…

Asensus has a Class I Senhance surgical robot recall

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]The FDA deemed a recall of the Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) Senhance surgical robot as Class I, the most serious kind.

Asensus recalled its Senhance system due to malfunctions causing unintended movement of the robotically-assisted surgical device. The issue presented itself as an uncontrolled arm motion of the laparoscope instrument actuator (LI). In this case, the LIA rotated continuously in one direction after the surgeon removed the engagement of teleoperation on the system.

The company designed Senhance with emergency stop capabilities to stop this issue if observed. Asensus reported no patient impact or harm due to this issue to date. However, the potential for critical tissue trauma remains possible.

Affected Senhance systems include catalog numbers X9007708, X9007696 and X9007707. The recall affects five devices in the U.S., distributed betwe…

Asensus agrees to manufacturing deal for next-gen Luna surgical robot

The Luna surgical robotics platform. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]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 pro…

Asensus initiates Senhance program in Germany

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that it entered into an agreement to initiate a surgical robotic program in Germany.

Klinikum Idar-Oberstein Hospital entered into a lease agreement to use a Senhance surgical system. Senhance, Asensus’ flagship offering for its Performance-Guided Surgery, is a first-of-its-kind digital laparoscopic surgical robot. It uses augmented intelligence to perform procedures through machine learning.

Senhance users span the globe, with Mayo Clinic recently taking up a pediatric program in the U.S. and several programs ongoing in Japan.

This announcement marks another step forward in Germany, where Asensus began a Senhance program last year. The company installed a Senhance surgical system at University Hospital Tübingen in Germany in July 2022. The Department of Gynecology at the University Hospital Tübingen previ…

Mayo Clinic is using Asensus surgical robotics for pediatric cases

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) named Mayo Clinic as the previously unidentified hospital customer that has leased the company’s surgical robotics system for pediatric cases.

The Mayo Clinic Hospital at the Saint Marys Campus in Rochester, Minnesota, is already using the Asensus Senhance system for pediatric operations, the device developer said in a recent regulatory filing.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based Asensus said in July that the deal made Senhance the first system exclusively utilized by pediatric surgeons at any U.S.-based hospital. The device developer named Mayo Clinic in a three-sentence filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month.

Rochester-based Mayo Clinic also uses Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci system at various locations across its hospital network.

Asensus (formerly called TransEnterix)…

Asensus, Nvidea to collab on AI for surgical robotics

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that it entered into a collaboration with Nvidia to accelerate the development of its ISU.

The partnership aims to enhance the ISU (Intelligent Surgical Unit), part of Asensus’ performance-guided surgery offerings. Asensus designed its flagship Senhance surgical robot platform around the ISU. The real-time intraoperative surgical image analytics platform leverages augmented intelligence to reduce surgical variability. It allows the surgeon to measure anatomy, place digital tags, enhance surgical images and utilize AI-driven control of the camera.

Asensus said it linked up with Nvidia, an AI computing leader, to improve the ISU’s ability to deliver novel clinical intelligence to surgeons. Read more on Nvidia and its use of generative AI in the pharmaceutical industry here.

Research Triangle Park…

Asensus Surgical targets FDA clearance for Luna surgical robot in 2025

The Luna surgical robotics platform. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced its second-quarter financial results and shared an update on its Luna surgical robot platform.

Shares of ASXC rose 9.8% at 36¢ apiece in late-afternoon trading today. MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — stayed even.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based Asensus unveiled the next-generation Luna platform in February. It designed Luna as an integrated digital surgery solution. It 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, the company says.

The company now says that it made “notable progress in R&D…

Asensus Surgical announces $10M offering

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that it entered into a definitive agreement for the purchase and sale of $10 million in common stock.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based Asensus’ offering includes just over 23.8 million shares of common stock. It also includes warrants to purchase the same amount of shares in a registered direct offering. H.C. Wainwright & Co. serves as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

Asensus plans to sell the shares and accompanying warrants at a combined purchase price of 42¢ per share. The warrants have an exercise price of 42¢ per share. They come immediately exercisable and expire five years following the date of issuance. Asensus expects the offering to close on or about July 31, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions.

The company intends to use gross proceeds from its offe…

Leading U.S. hospital begins pediatric program with Asensus surgical robot platform

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical (NYSE:ASXC) announced today that an unnamed leading U.S. hospital initiated a pediatric program with its Senhance platform.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based Asensus picked up a pediatric indication for Senhance from the FDA in March. Senhance, Asensus’ flagship offering for its Performance-Guided Surgery, is a first-of-its-kind digital laparoscopic surgical robot. It uses augmented intelligence to perform procedures through machine learning.

The system features surgical assurance through haptic feedback, eye-tracking camera control, and 3D visualization. Senhance’s 3mm instruments are the smallest available in the world on a robotic surgical platform, Asensus says. For its pediatric uses, the specialized instruments suit the delicate nature of such procedures.

Senhance enables machine vision-driven control of …