Robots are making their way into operating rooms around the world, acting as extensions of the surgeon. Intuitive Surgical, a mainstay in the robotic-assisted surgery field, has positioned its technologies as helping surgeons boost their performance and offer minimally-invasive options to patients. The company’s chief medical officer, Dr. Myriam Curet, shared her experience as a…
ReWalk Robotics ReStore soft exoskeleton expands clinical trials
Clinical trials for the ReWalk Robotics ReStore soft exoskeleton are expanding to five research centers in the United States. The centers involved in the ReWalk Robotics ReStore trials include the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Chicago), Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (Boston), the MossRehab Stroke and Neurological Disease Center (Elkins Park, PA), TIRR Memorial Hermann (Houston), and the Kessler Foundation (East…
Study: Implantable Robot Helps Spur Tissue Regeneration
An implantable, programmable robot induced cell growth and lengthened part of the esophagus in an animal model by more than 75%, according to researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital. The team reported in Science Robotics today that the robot triggered tissue growth without interfering with organ function. The system could help regrow parts of the esophagus that are missing…
Cambridge Consultants prototypes miniaturized robot for cataract surgery
Cambridge Consultants showed off its prototype of a miniaturized robot designed for cataract surgery last week at its annual Innovation Day event. The system, Axsis, is one of the smallest known robots for surgical use, according to the firm, featuring instruments of just 1.8mm in diameter. Surgical robots are often bulky and aren’t necessarily designed…
Titan Medical closes $2m deal with Chinese investor
Titan Medical (TSX:TMD) said today that it closed a deal with Longtai Medical to convert a $2.0 million distributorship deposit to equity. The move makes Longtai the robotic surgical company’s largest shareholder. In May of 2015, Titan Medical and Longtai, a subsidiary of Chinese medical device distributor Ningbo Long Hengtai International Trade Co., inked a deal to…
Equashield seeks to automate hazardous drug handling: a Drug Delivery Business News podcast
Equashield’s Jason Dutcher chats with Drug Delivery Business Newseditor Sarah Faulkner about the company’s closed system transfer device and its latest move to automate hazardous drug compounding. Healthcare workers are often tasked with handling hazardous drugs, which give off harmful vapors. Exposure to these drugs has been linked to severe health risks, including infertility, miscarriage and…
Japanese automakers get in on health robotics
Japanese automakers, including Toyota (NSDQ:ADR), are reportedly turning their focus to robots to help the country’s rapidly aging society. Japan faces dwindling demand for cars and its falling population has yielded labor shortages and pension squeezes. Toyota today launched a rental service for its walk assist system, which helps stroke survivors learn how to walk again.…
Verb Surgical debuts robot-assisted surgery prototype
Verb Surgical, Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) joint venture with Google parent Alphabet‘s (NSDQ:GOOGL) Verily Life Sciences, said today that it debuted its 1st digital surgery prototype to its collaboration partners at Ethicon Endo-Surgery and J&J. Robotic surgery, a fast growing field dominated by Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) and its da Vinci system, isn’t using robots yet, according to Verily CEO Andrew Conrad. In…
Corindus jumps on raised outlook
Shares in Corindus Vascular Robotics (OTC:CVRS) jumped nearly 11% in morning trading today after the company raised its outlook for full-year revenue in 2017 to between $13 million – $15 million. Analysts have pegged the robotic-assisted systems maker’s full-year revenue for 2017 at $12 million. Corindus said in a report yesterday that it anticipates implementation of at least…
Intuitive Surgical Q4 prelims beat estimates
Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) shares gained after it posted preliminary financial results for the 4th quarter, beating analysts’ expectations on Wall Street. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said it expects a total revenue of $757 million for Q4, up from $677 million in the same period last year. Analysts were looking for sales of $739.7 million in…
Layoffs ahead for ReWalk Robotics
ReWalk Robotics (NSDQ:RWLK) is reportedly planning to cut its operating expenses by 30% in 2017, a move that’s slated to include layoffs for an unspecified number of workers. The Marlborough, Mass.- and Israel-based company said it aims to meet its goal partially via a “reduction in staffing.” ReWalk had 87 employees as of December 2015, according to…
Stryker gains on Q4 prelims
Stryker (NYSE:SYK) shares are up after the orthopedics and hospital equipment giant posted preliminary financial results for the 4th quarter that narrowly beat the consensus forecast on Wall Street. The Kalamazoo, Mich.-based company said it expects a total revenue of $3.2 billion for Q4, up 16.3% from the same time last year. Analysts were looking for sales…