Noah Medical reports positive data for surgical robot

The Galaxy System. [Image courtesy of Noah Medical]Noah Medical today announced positive accuracy results from a study of its Galaxy System surgical robot platform.

San Carlos, California-based Noah Medical designed Galaxy and its accessories to provide bronchoscopic visualization and access. These capabilities provide diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patient airways.

The system features advanced imaging technologies that provide real-time location updates for potentially cancerous lesions. Noah said in a news release that it designed the technology to improve tool-in-lesion and diagnostic yield.

Galaxy received FDA clearance in March of this year. Last week, Noah Medical raised $150 million to support its surgical robot platform.

The MATCH study tested the “tool-in-lesion” accuracy of the Galaxy System. Noah Medical published results for review in the Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology.

About the results …
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Medtronic combines surgical robotics and surgical innovations units

Medtronic’s Hugo robot-assisted surgery system [Image courtesy of Medtronic]A senior Medtronic executive’s promotion is the latest piece of the puzzle as the world’s largest medical device company seeks significant expense reductions.

Mike Marinaro, who became president of Medtronic’s Surgical Robotics operating unit one year ago, is now EVP and president of Medtronic’s Surgical operating unit.

Fridley, Minnesota-based Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) didn’t announce the changes in a press release or a regulatory filing.

Instead, the medtech manufacturer quietly updated its website to reflect Marinaro’s new title and the “newly created” operating unit, “bringing together a legacy of surgical devices and the new robotic-assisted surgery technology to redefine the future of surgery.”

It’s not clear exactly when Medtronic updated the website, which said Marinaro was “recently appointed” t…

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Asensus secures pediatric indication for its robotic surgery system

The Intelligent Surgical Unit powers the Senhance surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Asensus Surgical]Asensus Surgical announced today that FDA has cleared an expanded pediatric indication for its Senhance robotic surgery system.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina–based Asensus says Senhance is the first and only digital laparoscopic surgery solution for pediatric patients. During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings announcement early this month, it said it expected the pediatric indication this year.

The Senhance system’s Intelligent Surgical Unit combines 3 mm instrumentation, a 5 mm camera scope, haptic feedback, and advanced clinical intelligence, according to Asensus.

Asensus’ Senhance system also has regulatory approval for pediatric patients in the EU and Japan. The company reports strong early clinical utilization in Europe. Surgeons in Europe have performed pediatric general, upper GI, colorectal, and urologic procedu…

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Stereotaxis says system placement delays impacted revenues

Stereotaxis (NYSE:STXS) shares took a hit today on fourth-quarter results that missed the consensus sales forecast.

Shares of STXS fell 6.9% to $2.42 apiece in midday trading today.MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — ticked up 1.3%.

The St. Louis-based endovascular surgical robot maker posted losses of $4.5 million. That comes to 6¢ per share on sales of $7.3 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2022.

Stereotaxis recorded a 21.6% bottom-line slide deeper into the red on a sales decline of 11.4%. The company’s earnings per share topped estimations on Wall Street by 1¢. However, sales fell short of expectations as analysts forecast $8.5 million in revenue.

Chair and CEO David Fischel said in a news release that Stereotaxis is implementing a new product ecosystem. However, disruptions to that transition came from delays in system placements in 2022, despite …

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Vicarious Surgical cuts 14% of its workforce

Vicarious Surgical (NYSE:RBOT) announced a layoff in order in order to reduce cash burn and boost R&D spending at the surgical robotics company.

CFO William Kelly told analysts yesterday evening that the present economic environment has Vicarious Surgical focusing on getting a quality robotic surgery system “out the door fast.” He said the company has reduced its workforce by 14%. The company’s most recent annual report listed 165 employees. That means the layoff could have involved roughly two dozen employees.

Those who were let go were mostly engaged in selling, general, and administrative expenses, according to CEO Adam Sachs.

“While previously, it made sense for the company to deploy greater resources and parallel path multiple contingencies in order to absolutely minimize timeline risk wherever possible. In the current market environment, fiscal discipline requires a much more lean approach, focused on growing equity valu…

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Could 2023 be a boom year for orthopedic devices?

The goal of Stryker’s Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery is to provide more predictable outcomes. [Image courtesy of Stryker]The orthopedic devices market is expected to reach nearly $50 billion this year as procedures bounce back from COVID-19, according to GlobalData.

GlobalData predicts the orthopedic surgical robotics space will be even hotter this year, growing 25.6% year-over-year to $984 million.

“Boosted by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, new generations of orthopedic robots are expected to further improve clinical outcomes. Unlike the general surgery robotics market — which is dominated by only one company, Intuitive Surgical — all major orthopedic manufacturers are competing in the orthopedic robotics market,” Tina Deng, principal medical devices analyst at GlobalData, said in a news release posted Feb. 1.

In addition, Global Data noted that the pandemic has accelerated the shift of procedures to outpatient or ambulat…

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Ronovo Surgical unveils Carina surgical robot platform

The Carina surgical robot system. [Image courtesy of Ronovo Surgical]Ronovo Surgical announced today that it closed a new round of financing, bringing its total funds raised to more than $50 million since 2020.

Shanghai-based Ronovo develops broad, cross-specialty robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) technology. LongRiver Investments led the latest financing round. Existing investors Lilly Asia Ventures, Vivo Capital, Matrix Partners China and GGV Capital participated. CEC Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor.

Ronovo said it now exits “stealth mode,” unveiling its inaugural Carina robotic platform. Carina, a modular system built on proprietary technology, enables configurable robotic assistance for laparoscopic surgeries across multiple specialties.

Add Ronovo to a host of companies, large and small, that are seeking to take on Intuitive in the soft-tissue robotic surgery space. (Here are 16 surgical robotics companies you need to know.) Read more

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Stryker on steroids: How enabling technology will supercharge surgical robotics

Robert Cohen is president of Stryker’s Digital Robotics and Enabling Technologies organization. [Photo courtesy of Stryker]

Stryker is tapping health data and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve surgical robotics outcomes.

Robert Cohen, president of Digital Robotics and Enabling Technologies at Stryker, recently discussed his mission with DeviceTalks Editorial Director Tom Salemi.

Stryker created the Digital Robotics and Enabling Technologies group in 2021 to “stay laser-focused on the technology,” Cohen said.

“What’s going on in the world of digital, what’s going on in the world of health records, what’s going on in the world of product security? How do we assure there’s no bias in algorithm development? We’re looking at local regulations as well as managing the R&D groups that are doing the robotics, the software, the navigation units for c…

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Titan Medical meets with strategic buyers and investors as surgical robot developer considers its future

Titan Medical’s Enos surgical robotics system has snake-arm instruments that deploy through a single incision. An Enos 2.0 prototype (pictured here) makes room for a third instrument arm by eliminating the integrated camera and using the 3-D scope. [Photo courtesy of Titan Medical]Titan Medical (Nasdaq:TMDI) met with potential buyers of the surgical robotics company this week in San Francisco.

The Toronto-based medical device developer has been considering the best options for investors and the company’s Enos surgical robot. Facing delisting of its stock from the Nasdaq exchange due to its low price last year, Titan Medical announced a strategic review in November and furloughed staff in December.

Also this week — and probably not coincidentally — the company released details of a second-generation Enos design with improvements such as an increase in the number of instrument arms to three from two. Learn more about those Enos design improvements, including a…

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Corindus rebrands as Siemens Healthineers Endovascular Robotics

The CorPath system. [Image from Siemens Healthineers Endovascular Robotics/Corindus]Siemens Healthineers announced that its Corindus company rebranded to “Siemens Healthineers Endovascular Robotics.”

In 2019, Siemens Healthineers bought out Corindus for $1.1 billion. Corindus develops the CorPath robot-assisted device for coronary and peripheral vascular procedures.

According to a news release, brand unification represents “the final step” in the company integration process that began in 2019. The business aims to advance interventions with robotics, changing the delivery of care through innovations. These innovations enhance physician techniques and bring precision to interventional procedures, Siemens said.

Siemens said it now offers the Endovascular Robotics business access to its company-wide resources. That allows it to continue advancing its vision of developing innovative, image-guided robotic solutions. It intends to continue…

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Titan Medical shelves its plan to avoid Nasdaq delisting

Titan Medical (Nasdaq:TMDI) is suspending a special meeting of shareholders that was supposed to vote on a share consolidation plan.

Since announcing the plan for the Jan. 12 meeting, however, the surgical robotics company’s management has decided to instead begin a strategic review. A sale of the company is a possibility. Meanwhile, Titan has also announced cost-cutting measures. They include furloughing 40 employees.

Cary G. Vance, Titan’s President and CEO, commented, “After consultation with our financial and legal advisors, we determined it was in the best interest of the company and its shareholders to suspend the special meeting,” Titan Medical CEO Cary G. Vance said in a news release.

“This action, in addition to resulting in a cost savings, allows the company to focus its attention on the strategic review process, completing tasks towards an IDE filing with the FDA and fulfilling certain other contractual development and supply…

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Moon Surgical wins first FDA 510(k) clearance for surgical robot

This screen grab from a Moon Surgical marketing video gives an idea of what the Maestro robotic surgery system looks like in action [Image courtesy of Moon Surgical]Moon Surgical announced today that it received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Maestro surgical robotics system.

Paris- and San Francisco-based Moon Surgical designed Maestro to support surgeons in soft tissue surgical procedures. Think of it as a robotic surgical assistant.

The small, adaptable system can integrate into existing clinical workflows. It features capabilities that bolster operating room efficiency and allow for alternative labor models, the company said.

In June, Moon Surgical completed a $31.3 million Series A fundraising. CEO Ann Osdoit said the company aims to make Maestro capable of use in any laparoscopy in any operating room. This could revolutionize minimally invasive surgery through collaborative and adaptive robotics.

Moon Surgical featured…

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