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43 DEVICES & IMPLANTS What's next for NuVasive's Pulse platform? By Alan Condon N uVasive's Pulse integrated spine surgery system launched in summer 2021, with the first commercial cases performed in July in Ohio and Texas. Ten details on the technology and what lies ahead: 1. Pulse is an integrated platform designed to improve safety and efficiency in spine surgery. e technology touts a seam- less workflow, allowing surgeons to use multiple technologies in a single procedure, and can help "deliver improved opera- tional, financial and clinical outcomes," CEO Chris Barry said during the company's Feb. 23 earnings call. 2. e device is a single unit of capital equipment that incor- porates two fixed screens, wireless device connectivity and several soware technologies. Pulse's reduced footprint in the operating room provides increased efficiency for surgeons and staff, according to NuVasive. 3. Pulse achieved a CE mark from the European Union in June and secured its first European commercial contracts in the first quarter of 2022. 4. Initial testing has shown that Pulse's navigation accuracy error rates are significantly lower than other navigation sys- tems on the market, the spine company said. 5. Providers can add future surgical applications from NuVa- sive and third-party partners that will integrate with the Pulse system. 6. A soware update for the device is set to launch in the sec- ond quarter. It will include further integration with Siemens Healthineers Cios Spin 3D mobile C-arm and additional capabilities to improve remote system upgrades. 7. NuVasive's 2021 revenue was $1.1 billion, with fourth-quar- ter revenue hitting $302.1 million, a 3.5 percent increase year over year. Net sales were primarily driven by Pulse and the C360 portfolio, which includes the Simplify cervical disc. 8. Most of the providers that have implemented Pulse so far have been existing NuVasive customers, but Mr. Barry sees that progressing to "a mix of both existing and new custom- ers" as the technology evolves in the coming quarters. 9. In September, NuVasive opened its East Coast Experience Center in New York City. e facility includes educational training rooms and a dedicated site to demonstrate its Pulse platform. 10. NuVasive said it will continue to invest in the Pulse plat- form, Pulse robotics and its core spine portfolio. Its goal for Pulse is to have it be used in 100 percent of spine cases. Nu- Vasive said it is developing financial models that will benefit the company and its customers. n ExcelsiusGPS approaches 30,000 cases; robotic utilization hits 'all-time high' By Alan Condon G lobus Medical's ExcelsiusGPS spine robot has been used in nearly 30,000 procedures since it launched in 2017, the company announced in its fourth quarter earnings call Feb. 17, as transcribed by The Motley Fool. Four notes: 1. ExcelsiusGPS' "clinical superiority" over other spine robots on the market is the main factor driving its growth, Globus Medical CEO Dave Demski said. 2. Robotic utilization, the number of cases performed per installed robot, was at an all-time high in 2021, according to the company. 3. Globus Medical's spinal implant business continues to see a "flywheel effect of an increasing number of robots being sold combined with increasing utilization of each robot," Mr. Demski said. 4. ExcelsiusGPS combines a robotic arm with navigation to improve accuracy in the placement of screws during spine surgery and reduce radiation exposure for the surgical team. The robot supports screw placement in several approaches, including posterior cervical, posterior thoracic sacroiliac and posterior lumbar. n Spinal implant company raises $55M, eyes US launch of 2 devices By Carly Behm F rance-based devicemaker Companion Spine raised $55 million in series A funding and plans to launch two prod- ucts in the U.S. in 2023. The funds are expected to develop and commercialize the company's minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic products in the U.S. and abroad, according to a Feb. 15 news release. Companion Spine's devices focus on two applications: degenerative disc disease and lumbar spine stenosis. Companion Spine's Diam implant for degenerative disc dis- ease and Aperius implant for the percutaneous treatment of lumbar stenosis are expected to be commercialized in the U.S. Funding was led by New York City-based investment firm Viscogliosi Brothers. n