Brainlab Acquires Medineering, Robotics Platform

Brainlab has acquired Medineering, a developer of application-specific robotic technologies.

This move strengthens Brainlab’s capabilities in support of spinal surgery. For nearly three years, it has marketed the Medineering surgical arm under the brand name Cirq®. Cirq can be aligned in seven degrees of freedom for positioning flexibility; once locked into place, a surgeon can perform the procedure with both hands. Navigation integration works with established workflows, set-up and instrumentation. The combination of base arm and attachable “hand” modules makes Cirq scalable in the future.

The arm will join Brainlab’s open hardware architecture that allows device companies to design their own solutions and applications across numerous subspecialties. Unlike larger robotic systems priced at over $1 million, the lightweight lower-cost Medineering arm mounts to the siderails of the operating table, making the vendor-neutral platform accessible to many of Brainlab’s 4,000+ existing customers and expanding market reach into ambulatory surgery centers.

The mechatronic arm accommodates a range of hands that hold instruments, align drill guides and endoscopes, etc. Cirq applications are in clinical use in Europe, and FDA clearance is pending.

The reach of Brainlab’s technology into ASCs is also supported by Smith & Nephew’s purchase of the company’s orthopedic reconstruction assets earlier this month.

“Becoming part of Brainlab means scalability for our technology and improved market access,” comments Stephan Nowatschin, Co-Founder and CEO, Medineering. “Combining our open platform with the software ecosystem from Brainlab will enable more efficient development of very competitive clinical solutions.”

“Medineering introduced a fresh new approach to surgical robotics when we entered into our partnership less than three years ago,” said Stefan Vilsmeier, President and CEO, Brainlab. “Today, we are shifting gears and accelerating development with additional resources to address a broader clinical market.”

JAV

Julie A. Vetalice is ORTHOWORLD's Editorial Assistant. She has covered the orthopedic industry for over 20 years, having joined the company in 1999.

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