Robotic Surgery Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Medical Design Sourcing

Johns Hopkins-led team’s robot performs laparoscopic surgery without human help

The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) at work. [Image courtesy of Azel Krieger and Jin Kang/Johns Hopkins University]A Johns Hopkins University research team has created a robot that can perform laparoscopic surgery on a pig’s soft tissue without a human being’s aid.

The researchers described their latest advance with their Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) in the January 26 issue of Science Robotics.

“Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery: the reconnection of two ends of an intestine. The STAR performed the procedure in four animals, and it produced significantly better results than humans performing the same procedure,” said senior author Axel Krieger, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins.

Activ Surgical (Boston) has roots in the STAR work back in 2016, though Activ’s founder Dr. Peter Kim has since moved on. Activ Surgical’s present focus is on its Act…

Johns Hopkins-led team’s robot performs laparoscopic surgery without human help

The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) at work. [Image courtesy of Azel Krieger and Jin Kang/Johns Hopkins University]

A Johns Hopkins University research team has created a robot that can perform laparoscopic surgery on a pig’s soft tissue without a human being’s aid.

The researchers described their latest advance with their Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) in the January 26 issue of Science Robotics.

“Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery: the reconnection of two ends of an intestine. The STAR performed the procedure in four animals, and it produced significantly better results than humans performing the same procedure,” said senior author Axel Krieger, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins.

Krieger worked with collaborators at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D…

Stryker CEO Lobo talks success of Wright Medical merger, increasing competitiveness of surgical robotics

Stryker CEO Kevin Lobo

CEO Kevin Lobo has a lot to be excited about at Stryker — the world’s largest orthopedic device company.

Kevin Lobo has seen many successful acquisitions at Stryker’s helm in the last 10 years. The Kalamazoo, Michigan medtech giant’s recent acquisition of Wright Medical has positioned the company to expand its orthopedics range – adding upper extremities to its vast portfolio of orthopedic devices and robotics.

Stryker announced the $4.7 billion acquisition of Wright Medical in November 2019 but didn’t fully acquire the company until November 2020 because of concerns raised by U.S. and U.K. regulators.

The company added Wright’s upper extremities (shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand), lower extremities (foot and ankle) and biologics devices to its portfolio. It then separated and re-organized its businesses into three separate business units within Str…

First U.S. facilities adopt Memic Innovative Surgery’s Hominis robotic surgery platform

Image from Memic Innovative Surgery

Memic Innovative Surgery announced today that three U.S.-based facilities acquired the Hominis robot-assisted surgical system.

HCA Florida Healthcare’s Kendall Regional Medical Center, Advent Health Celebration and The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial all acquired the Hominis surgical system.

Tel Aviv, Israel-based Memic’s Hominis system will now be used at the facilities in single-site, natural orifice laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal benign gynecological procedures including benign hysterectomy, according to a news release. The company touts Hominis as the first and only FDA-authorized surgical robot with miniature humanoid-shaped arms with shoulder, elbow and wrist joints that provide human-level dexterity and 360-degree articulation.

Memic — which confirmed its plans to go public in a SPAC merger in August 2021 — designed the Hominis system to replicate the motions and capabilities of a surg…

Design patents can provide extra protection for medical robots

Filing design patents can protect a medical robot’s overall aesthetic and the software user interface.

Roman Fayerberg, Todd C. Basile and David J. Dykeman, Greenberg Traurig

[Image from Pixabay]Medical robotics companies often emphasize utility patents when building strategic patent portfolios, given the complex nature of robotics technology. However, don’t overlook design patents, which provide another layer of protection by covering elements of robotics beyond the scope of utility patents.

A robust patent portfolio is an important indicator of a successful medical robotics company. As the medical robotics industry continues to grow and more and more companies enter the increasingly competitive market, a medical robotics company needs a comprehensive and strategic patent portfolio around its technology to compete. A strategic patent portfolio attracts investors, keeps competitors at bay, and provides necessary ammunition in litigation.

Go to our sister si…

Design patents can provide extra protection for medical robots

Filing design patents can protect a medical robot’s overall aesthetic and the software user interface.

Roman Fayerberg, Todd C. Basile and David J. Dykeman, Greenberg Traurig

[Image from Pixabay]

Medical robotics companies often emphasize utility patents when building strategic patent portfolios, given the complex nature of robotics technology. However, don’t overlook design patents, which provide another layer of protection by covering elements of robotics beyond the scope of utility patents.

A robust patent portfolio is an important indicator of a successful medical robotics company. As the medical robotics industry continues to grow and more and more companies enter the increasingly competitive market, a medical robotics company needs a comprehensive and strategic patent portfolio around its technology to compete. A strategic patent portfolio attracts investors, keeps competitors at bay, and provides …

The top 5 medtech news stories of 2021

The past year saw significant changes in the medtech space. Our editorial team picked their top stories.

The lingering COVID-19 pandemic was top of mind in 2021, but there was much more going on in the medical device industry. The Life Sciences editorial team here at WTWH Media discussed their top picks during the December 17 episode of our DeviceTalks Weekly podcast.

Go to our sister site Medical Design & Outsourcing to read more.

And here are some MassDevice stories that got social media attention in 2021…

The top 5 medtech news stories of 2021

The past year saw significant changes in the medtech space. Our editorial team picked their top stories.

The lingering COVID-19 pandemic was top of mind in 2021, but there was much more going on in the medical device industry. The Life Sciences editorial team here at WTWH Media discussed their top picks during the December 17 episode of our DeviceTalks Weekly podcast.

Tom Salemi, DeviceTalks Editorial Director: Vicarious Surgical goes public

Back in 2020, Vicarious Surgical seemed like the little surgical robotics company that could — seeking to succeed in a space dominated by Intuitive, with giants including Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson seeking to enter the market. Flash forward to 2021, and Vicarious was going public through a $1.1 billion special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal.

“We’ve got these smaller companies carving a niche for themselves,” Tom said of the surgical robotics space. He also noted that the deal was a great sign for medtech e…

Medtronic’s Hugo wins Health Canada license to expand robotic-assisted surgery

Medtronic’s Hugo robot-assisted surgery system [Image courtesy of Medtronic]Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) announced today that it received a Health Canada license for use of the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system.

The company’s Brampton, Ontario-based Medtronic Canada subsidiary received the Health Canada license for use of Hugo in urologic and gynecologic laparoscopic surgical procedures.

According to a news release, those procedures make up about half of all robotic surgery procedures performed today.

“This license ushers in a new opportunity for healthcare in Canada, bringing the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery to more patients by addressing the historic cost and utilization barriers that have stifled robotic surgery adoption for two decades,” President of Medtronic’s Surgical Robotics Business Megan Rosengarten said in the release. “We’re beginning to see what the Hugo RAS system can do in the hands of clinicians in L…

Virtual Incision raises $46M for its miniaturized robotic platform

Virtual Incision is hte developer of the MIRA (miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant) platform. [Image courtesy of Virtual Incision]Virtual Incision announced today that it raised $46 million in a Series C round to support its miniaturized robots for laparoscopic surgery.

The company — based in Lincoln, Nebraska and Pleasanton, California — said the money will fund regulatory and clinical programs supporting the eventual commercialization of its MIRA (miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant) surgical platform.

“Virtual Incision’s goal is to transform surgery by providing a practical and hassle-free platform that will enable efficient, effective and affordable access to robotic-assisted technology, regardless of the site of care,” CEO John Murphy said in a news release.

Endeavour Vision and Baird Capital led the round, with participation from returning investor Bluestem Capital and others..

The company recently announced the first surgery using …

Smith+Nephew expands reach of its Cori handheld robotic system

The Cori system includes a handheld cutting tool that has a robotic feature that automatically halts the spinning of the tool’s burr if it’s outside a digitally “painted” area. [Image from Smith+Nephew]

A year after Smith+Nephew (NYSE:SNN) launched its Cori handheld robotic system in the U.S., the ortho surgery system has launched globally.

The British medtech giant has expanded Cori’s reach to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, India, and Canada (just announced today). The company yesterday said the system was now available for use in the U.K.’s National Health Service.

Get the full story on our sister site MassDevice.

European approval ‘a big deal’ as Medtronic moves forward with Hugo surgical robot

Medtronic’s Hugo robot-assisted surgery system [Image courtesy of Medtronic] There’s excitement at Medtronic after the Hugo robotic surgery platform hit a big regulatory milestone.

In 2012, an incubator at Covidien called “Project Einstein” was formed with a focus on combining robotic technology, data and analytics to see what could be created.

About nine years later, the product that emerged from Project Einstein made a major step forward when the Hugo robotic-assisted surgical system received CE mark approval in Europe.

Plenty happened in 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 Eu…