The market for spine surgery robots has developed rapidly, with several medical device companies launching their own versions of spine robots.
Here is an overview of three market-leading spinal robots:
ExcelsiusGPS
Overview: Created by healthtech company Globus Medical , the Excelsius is a robotic navigation platform that combines a robotic arm and full navigation capabilities with the intent of improving accuracy in the placement of screws during spine surgery and reducing radiation exposure for the surgical team.
Cost: The platform is priced at about $1.5 million.
In the news: Terence Chen, MD, performed the first awake spine surgery with the ExcelsiusGPS robot at Walnut Creek (Calif.) Medical Center. His patient was able to begin physical therapy a couple of hours after surgery.
Mazor X Stealth Edition
Overview: Created by medtech company Medtronic, the Mazor X Stealth's robotic guidance system allows for preoperative or intraoperative planning. It is designed to allow surgeons to create personalized 3D surgical plans before surgery and holds surgical instrumentation in place with a robotic arm during spine procedures.
Cost: The Mazor X costs about $850,000.
In the news: In April, Stanley Hoang, MD, performed the first robot-assisted single position prone lumbar fusion surgery using the Mazor X at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport (La.).
Remi
Overview: Created by Accelus, the Remi robotic targeting and navigation platform assists surgeons with robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement in the lumbar spine. Its simple workflow and small, portable footprint are designed to allow the system to be used in multiple rooms and for multiple procedures in one day.
Cost: Pricing of the Remi system has not been released publicly.
In the news: In April, Alphatec acquired all assets related to the Remi robotic navigation system in a $22 million deal with Fusion Robotics, a subsidiary of Accelus.