The healthcare industry has been evolving leaps and bounds to
keep up with the growing needs of the population. And technology has always
been at the forefront of medical innovations, enhancing patient outcomes and
medical care. Currently, surgical robots are a hot topic in the Medtech
industry due to their unlimited potential in revolutionizing the healthcare
ecosystem. Robot-assisted surgeries are faster, require less staff, reduces recovery
time, and decreases the risk of infections. Over the last two decades,
robotic-assisted surgeries have been growing substantially, mitigating human
errors, and producing excellent results. Johnson
& Johnson recently unveiled its surgical robotic
platform, Ottava designed
to provide unrivalled flexibility and control for surgical interventions.
With six arms and a zero-footprint design,
the J&J’s digital ecosystem enables treating challenging anatomy in a
minimally invasive manner, enhance patient access, and improve workflow. The
term, “Ottava” in Italian means to play music an octave higher, and as the name
reflects, J&J robotic system intends to take robotics to a new level.
The new surgical system improves surgical outcomes for a variety
of diseases by offering robotic control and coordination across a full breadth
of procedures more than any other available system in the market. Inculcating
the newest technology and integrating data capabilities, Ottava has been developed
to provide an ability to the clinicians to improve and deliver as good outcomes
as possible according to his/her level of technical understanding and
knowledge. One of the key features of the technology introduced in Ottava is
that the device has the potential to extend into more intervention or endoluminal techniques,
which would result in a significant broadening of the use of surgical robotics.
The new surgical system is currently in the exciting stage of development where
it is gradually coming to life, but J&J is planning to enroll it for
clinical trials in 2022 and the launch is unlikely before 2024.
In 2000, da
Vinci became the first FDA-approved robotic surgical system for
general laparoscopic surgery and since then Intuitive Surgical has continued to
its dominance the market for robot-assisted surgeries. Currently, Intuitive Surgical constitutes
92.3% of the robotic surgical market for many general surgery procedures such
as hernia repair, hysterectomies, cholecystectomies, colectomies, myomectomies,
and prostatectomies. Rest includes the use of Stryker’s MAKO system for
orthopedic procedures and Medtronic’s
Mazor system for neurological procedures. Introducing
Ottava into the rapidly expanding surgical robot market, J&J plans to take
over Intuitive Surgical and expand its market share. Currently, John &
Johnson holds a market share of 1.7% in
the global surgical
robot market, acquiring Auris Health and its Monarch system for
bronchoscopy procedures in 2019.
The MedTech giant has been developing its digital platform by
combining technologies, which came out of the company’s collaboration
with Verily, Alphabet
life sciences as well as Auris Health and its FDA-cleared Monarch platform. The
Monarch platform is an advanced bronchoscopy that can be used to perform lung
biopsies. So, the surgical system can help the surgeons to access nodules in patient’s
lungs to diagnose and target treatments. The Ottava system leverages Ethicon instrumentation with
advanced visualization and machine learning that would help to make surgeons
smarter and reduce variation in surgical outcomes while improving the overall
patient experience.
Like Intuitive Surgical da Vinci, Ottava would be able to
perform both the abdominal and chest surgeries along with performing those
types of procedures for which robots are not typically used. The new J&J
surgical system operations would extend to vascular-based interventions such as
endoscopy, orthopedics, and catheter-based procedures. The device features an
unconventional set of six arms for more degrees of freedom to make even
the complicated work easy, and thus help to make a difference. However, experts
are sceptical about the six arms as a greater number of arms means more risk of
clashes or entanglements. The da Vinci robot is undeniably large whereas
Medtronic’s Hugo is composed of various modular components, each smaller than
da Vinci's one, and takes up lesser space even when combined. On the other
hand, Ottava’s design differs from da Vinci’s boom-mounted nature and Hugo’s
modular format and is designed to free up space to enable better patient access
and facilitate the mobility of the entire platform from one operating room to
another.
With Ottava, doctors can examine the disease as well as treat it
on the same day, which saves a lot of time for the patient as well as medical
practitioners. Taking assistance from Ottava, the surgeon can enhance the
precision of the operation, which could lead to fewer side effects. Also, the
device can perform many types of operation, which could help hospitals avoid
buying multiple robots, designed for a different purpose, thus saves them a lot
of overhead costs.
Other Players in Robot-assisted Surgery
Intuitive Surgical da Vinci
The da Vinci surgical system allows surgeons
to perform various general laparoscopic surgery with clinically supported
precision and accuracy. The da Vinci surgical system consists of a patient cart
with four robotic arms,
an ergonomically designed surgeon’s console, a high-tech vision system, and
patented EndoWrist instruments. The advanced robotic platform has been
employed for tens and thousands of procedures and its safety and efficacy are
well-documented in clinical publications. Expanding surgeon’s capabilities, da
Vinci aid surgeons in surgical procedures for a variety of procedures providing
excellent dexterity and control during surgery and the ability to execute 1-2
cm incisions versus longer incisions. Providing surgeons with superior vision,
greater precision, enhanced dexterity, and ergonomic comfort, the da Vinci
Surgical System makes it possible for surgeons to perform delicate dissection
or reconstruction. Roughly, 75% of all prostate cancer operations in the US are
performed using da Vinci devices due to their efficacy and reliable tool.
Stryker Mako
FDA-approved in 2015, Stryker’s Mako is a
robotic-assisted surgical platform employed for orthopaedic operations
including partial knee, total hip, and total knee operations. The technology
allows surgeons to create a three-dimensional virtual
model of the unique anatomy of the joint to be
operated upon. The unique detailing and personalized view help to prepare the
bone for the implant and the robotic arm guides surgeons to perform a more
accurate and better-aligned knee replacement. The MAKO robotic arm assisted
surgery offers several advantages over conventional manual techniques such as
real-time sensory feedbacks, proper penetration of the bone, precise placement
of the implant, minimal blood loss and scarring, preserve healthy bone and soft
tissue from damage, quick recovery, short hospital stay, and less
post-operative pain.
Siemens Healthineers Corindus Vascular Robotics
The surgical robot system designed for
coronary, peripheral vascular, and neurovascular procedures, Corindus Vascular Robotics
consists of robotic-assisted control of coronary guide catheters, guidewires,
and rapid exchange catheter with a sub-millimeter measurement that enables
proper stent positioning. Corindus CorPath System is the first FDA-approved medical device for
coronary angioplasty procedures in the USA. The system allows physicians to
perform procedures, advancing stents and guidewires with utmost accuracy using
digital controls, all while seating in a cockpit protected from radiation
exposure. Enabling proximity and ergonomic visualization, the device helps
physicians overcome the struggle to see angiography. Besides, the robotic
intervention eliminates trial and error and assures precise ‘point and shoot’
predictability.
Conclusion
There are different surgical robots designed
for different purposes, but J&J Ottava promises to perform a variety of
surgical interventions, which is a huge advantage for hospitals. Also,
according to industry experts, six arms seem a bit more and can hinder the
productivity of operation if not managed well. Until now, no clinical research
has been made on the newly built device therefore, its efficacy cannot be
determined yet. However, it is evident that the surgical robotic system market
has a huge potential, and the top players are much involved in refining their
products to the best of quality to serve the growing needs of patients as well
as doctors.
According to TechSci research report on “Global
Surgical Robots Market By Component (Systems, Instruments
and Accessories, Services), By Mechanism of Control (Computer Control, Direct
Telemanipulator), By Application (Orthopedic Surgery, Endometriosis, General
Surgery, Neurosurgery, Thoracic Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Gynecology, Heart
Surgery, Urologic Surgery and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics and
Ambulatory Surgical Centers), By Region, Competition, Forecast &
Opportunities, 2025”, the global surgical robots market
is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 15% and reach USD13 billion by 2025. The
growth can be attributed to the increasing incidences of degenerative and
chronic diseases and technological innovation and advancements coupled with new
product launches. Besides, rising geriatric population and highly complex
surgical procedures are fuelling the demand for global surgical robots market.
According to another TechSci research report
on “Global
Robotics Market By Component (Hardware and
Software), By Type (Articulated, Cartesian, SCARA, Cylindrical and Others), By
End User (Healthcare, Media & Entertainment, Aerospace & Defence,
Logistics, Automotive and Others), By Region, Competition, Forecast &
Opportunities, 2016-2026”, the global
robotics market valued at USD49.94 billion in 2020 and is expected to forecast
at a CAGR of 4.91% by 2026. The growth can be attributed to the rising
necessity for remote communications and introduction of advanced robotic system
by top players in the market.
