German medical technology company Brainlab is acquiring the also German Medineering. Medineering's surgical robot will be marketed by Brainlab under the name Cirq. With the acquisition, Brainlab aims to expand its portfolio in brain surgery and strengthen its position in the spinal surgery market.
Medineering's robot is aimed at minimally invasive surgery. The robot supports surgeons by operating an endoscope during operations, something that is currently often done manually. By automating this process, surgeons have both hands free for other tasks, hand vibrations no longer impact the image and surgeons are relieved.
Positioning Arm and Endoscope Robot
The robot developed by Medineering for this purpose consists of two components: a so-called Positioning Arm and an endoscopic robot. The Positioning Arm forms the basis of this solution and is a robotic arm with seven joints, which allows the arm to be positioned very precisely. Once the arm is positioned correctly, it is fixed, after which surgeons have both hands free for the rest of the operation.
The 'Endoscope Robot' will be placed on the Positioning Arm. This is a compact robot specifically designed to hold an endoscope during transnasal interventions, where surgery is performed through the nostril. The robot can be combined with all rigid endoscopes and can be operated during surgery using a foot pedal.
Built within 60 seconds
The Positioning Arm is attached directly to the operating table, after which it is connected to a control unit, power supply and the Endoscope Robot. Medineering reports that the robot can be fully assembled and ready to use within 60 seconds, making it easy to deploy in any operating theatre.
According to Medineering, the robot's modular design offers several key advantages. For example, the Positioning Arm can also be combined with other components in the future and it is possible to combine newer endoscopes with the Endoscope Robot in the future. The modular approach therefore extends Cirq's lifespan, according to the manufacturer.
Long-time investor and partner
Brainlab has been involved with Medineering for some time. The company has been an investor and distribution partner for Medineering for about three years. Now Brainlab is acquiring Medineering and adding Cirq to its existing portfolio of medical solutions. This portfolio consists of various products ranging from solutions that help surgeons find their way through the human body to imaging technology and Mixed Reality solutions.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Medineering
Source: Brainlab
