The integration pairs the bkActiv intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) system and the Stealth AXiS surgical navigation system for robotic procedures. GE HealthCare launched the latest version of bkActiv last year. Meanwhile, Medtronic earned back-to-back FDA nods for Stealth AXiS to kick off 2026, first garnering clearance for spine surgery, then getting the green light for cranial and ENT procedures.
bkActiv includes features and dedicated software exam types to support visualization and workflow in the neurosurgical suite. Stealth AXiS brings planning, navigation and robotics together into a single, intelligent system. Michael Carter, SVP and president of Medtronic Cranial & Spinal Technologies, spoke to MassDevice recently to outline the benefits of the system.
Together, the companies say the new digital integration delivers bkActiv as a “plug-and-play” real-time visualization solution during Stealth AXiS procedures, without disrupting established workflows. bkActiv can deliver real-time visualization that may help clinicians assess anatomy changes such as brain shift. It supplies live iUS imaging to the navigation system so clinicians can view the images alongside pre-operative MRI or CT images.
“Real-time visualization is critical for cranial surgical teams to assess anatomy, navigate changes, and make critical decisions in the surgical suite,” said Heidi Seerden, GM, Surgical Innovations, GE HealthCare. “We are proud to build on our long-time collaboration with Medtronic to bring together bkActiv with the Stealth AXiS surgical navigation system in a way that supports our shared goals of supporting surgical precision and clinician confidence.”
(Learn more about Medtronic and the surgical robotics space in our MassDevice Surgical Robotics Special Report. Download the report for free here.)
More about the features of the GE HealthCare and Medtronic technologies
GE HealthCare said it designed bkActiv to deliver an image mirror feature. The feature duplicates ultrasound images on the scanner’s glass user interface. This enables surgical staff to see the ultrasound image when the clinical display monitor faces the surgeon.
The platform also features sensitive color Doppler to visualize blood flow during surgeries. Its specialized algorithms also support uniform image resolution and detail around areas of interest. Fully immersible transducers enable easy sterilization and single-use needle guides as well.
bkActiv also features a Transducer Smart Button that allows surgeons to freeze, store and print images with one press. Its sterilizable remote control allows surgeons to control the scanner from the sterile field.
Medtronic built its system to support a range of surgeon preferences, clinical complexity and care settings. It designed Stealth AXiS for use across hospitals and the increasingly popular ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The system can operate in these settings without relying on multiple standalone technologies.
Stealth AXiS combines familiar navigation workflows with a modular robotic design, the medtech giant says. It allows institutions to deploy what they need and expand over time as needs evolve. The company built the system on its existing Mazor and StealthStation technologies.
This marks the latest surgical robotics advancement for Medtronic, which also won FDA approval for its Hugo soft tissue robot at the end of 2025.
