Medtronic touts U.S. launch of Mazor X Stealth spinal robot-assisted surgery device

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it launched its Mazor X Stealth robotic-assisted spinal surgical platform in the U.S., touting its recent use in its first commercial procedures.

The first uses of the system took place at Louisville, Ky.’s Norton Healthcare and Reston, Va.’s Reston Hospital Center, the Fridley, Minn.-based medtech giant said.

“The marriage of robotics and navigation represents the future of computerized planning and execution in spine surgery. Robotics and navigation have both been shown to improve accuracy and precision in spine surgery. The Mazor X Stealth edition is a revolutionary new technology that uses cutting-edge software to plan the surgical procedure, then uses a robotic arm to guide implants and instruments through the steps of the surgical procedure with precision, while simultaneously using real-time imaging feedback to ensure the plan is being carried out as desired,” Dr. Christopher Good of Reston Hospital Center and The Virginia Spine Institute said in prepared remarks.

The newly launched spinal robotic platform incorporates Medtronic’s Stealth software technology into their recently acquired Mazor Robotic’s Mazor X robotic-assisted surgical platform, the company said.

The addition of Stealth technology is intended to improve workflow predictability through the use of real-time image guidance, visualization and navigation using 3D planning and information systems, the company added.

“It is rare that huge sectors of technology such as robotics and navigation merge into a sole platform as found in the Mazor X Stealth edition. Combined, these may provide more predictable and reliable execution of our procedure workflows. Computerized surgical planning, 3-D assessment of spine anatomy, robotic guidance and live navigation feedback are designed to provide a higher degree of accuracy throughout the surgical procedure,” Dr. Jeffrey Gum of Norton Leatherman Spine said in a prepared statement.

The system won FDA clearance in November and is now available in the U.S. Medtronic said it plans to launch the system in key regions throughout 2019.

“As part of our Surgical Synergy strategy, we believe Mazor X Stealth edition will accelerate the advancement and adoption of robotic-assisted and navigated surgical technologies in spine. Medtronic is committed to transforming the future of spine care by offering procedural solutions that integrate implants, biologics and enabling technologies like navigation, 3-D imaging, robotics and powered surgical tools,” Medtronic restorative therapies group prez Geoff Martha said in a press release.

The product is the first to come out of Medtronic’s acquisition of Mazor, originally announced in September and closed late last month.

The world’s largest medical device maker has held a position in Mazor, which makes the Mazor X guidance system and the Renaissance robot-assisted spine surgery platform, since May 2016. Last September they closed the third, $40 million tranche of the investment, giving Medtronic a 10.6% stake it paid $72 million for.

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