Becker's Spine Review

34 DEVICES & IMPLANTS Medtech betting big on surgical robots: 7 key updates in spine By Alan Condon M ore device companies are launching spine robots, which are anticipated to play a key role in the future of spine surgery, advancing far beyond their current capabilities related to the place- ment of pedicle screws. Here are seven key notes on spine robots this year: 1. South Korean medtech company Curexo received FDA licensing for its Cuvis-spine robot, which guides pedicle screw insertion and uses a robotic arm to make surgery more safe and efficient, according to the company. 2. Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha was encouraged by increased hospital spending on robotic and navigation technologies in recent months. "e use of our capital equipment ... is tied directly to procedures, so it's telling that hospitals are prioritizing spending on this type of equipment," Mr. Martha said. 3. e global surgical robot market is projected to hit $14.4 billion by 2026, up from about $6.4 billion in 2021, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets. Key market drivers include the benefits, technological advancements and rising adoption of surgical robots as well as increased funding for research. 4. NuVasive is developing its Pulse system and associ- ated robotics application for spine surgery. Pulse is an open-imaging platform integrated with Siemens' 3D mo- bile C-arm, Cios Spine, and is expected to have applica- tions for all spine surgeries, not just complex or low-acu- ity cases, according to the company. 5. Fusion Robotics received FDA clearance for its spine robot in February. e robot is designed to improve spine procedural efficiency "with significantly less expense," compared to currently available robotic systems, accord- ing to Fusion Robotics. 6. In February, the FDA approved two Brainlab surgical robots: the Loop-X Mobile Imaging Robot and Cirq, a robotic surgical system for spine procedures. Brainlab believes that Loop-X is the first fully robotic intraoper- ative imaging device on the market, and the Cirq robotic alignment module assists surgeons during spine cases. 7. Medtronic's Midas Rex high-speed drills were cleared for use with its Mazor Robotic Guidance System. e drills are designed to improve precision, disc-prep access and navigation, according to the company. n SeaSpine completes 7D Surgical acquisition — 5 things to know By Alan Condon 7D Surgical has been acquired by SeaSpine for a reported $110 million. Five things to know: 1. 7D Surgical's flagship technology is the Flash navigation sys- tem for spine and cranial surgery. It is designed to replace stan- dard fluoroscopy and offers surgeons a radiation-free tool to place spinal implants. 2. Flash can complete the entire patient registration process in less than 30 seconds, compared to the 30 minutes common with traditional systems, according to the company. 3. The system costs about $450,000 — less than half the price of traditional imaging systems, 7D Surgical said. 4. The technology provides an opportunity for similar advance- ments in other surgical specialties. 5. Including the 7D Surgical acquisition, SeaSpine projects 2021 total revenue to be $193 million to $198 million, reflecting growth of 25 percent to 28 percent compared to 2020. n Colorado hospital installs radiation-free imaging spine surgery system By Alan Condon M ercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colo., has installed 7D Surgical's Flash navigation system for spine surgery, The Journal reports. The system uses visible light to create a 3D image for surgical navigation, eliminating patient and staff exposure to intraoper- ative radiation, according to the company. It was approved for neurologic surgery in 2016, but has since expanded to spine surgery. Flash provides real-time 3D imaging that shows surgeons where to place pedicle screws and determine the trajectory, length and size of screws, Doug Orndorff, MD, of Durango-based Spine Colorado, told the publication. "It does it in real time and without radiation." The Flash system costs $500,000, compared to other navigation systems on the market that run up to $1.2 million, according to the report. Dr. Orndorff said Flash offers the most benefit to surgeons during complex spine cases in patients with difficult anatomies. n

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