Medtech maker Medrobotics celebrated the world’s 1st cancer surgeries performed with its Flex surgical robot in a pair of procedures conducted at a hospital in Germany.
Surgeons used the Flex system to successfully remove lesions from a pair of patients, effectively launching Medrobotics’ postmarket clinical trial, which will enroll up to 80 patients in Germany and Belgium. The trial is evaluating the system for use in accessing and visualizing structures in the mouth and throat, Medrobotics said.
"Using rigid instruments, surgeons sometimes cannot adequately access and visualize lesions minimally invasively," Professor Stephen Lang, who performed one of the surgeries, said on behalf of the company. "The combination of a flexible endoscope in conjunction with flexible instruments as provided by the Flex System can be advantageous, especially in patients with challenging anatomy."
Medrobotics considers its Flex system the 1st robot-assisted flexible endoscopic platform for use in surgical procedures. The device won CE Mark approval in the European Union earlier this year with indication for use in otolaryngology surgery.
The company also just closed a $26 million Series E funding round, saying it plans to use the new funds to launch commercial efforts in the U.S. and in Europe, as well as in pursuit of new regulatory bids. The company has not yet won a nod from the FDA.
