Smith+Nephew
(NYSE: SNN)
announced today that it aims to develop technology in a new field of arthroscopic surgical innovation.
The London-based orthopedic giant said it aims to develop technology in the field of “spatial surgery.” It envisions spatial surgery as a way to deliver personalized planning, augmented reality and real-time data processing into platforms that interpret the surgical field intraoperatively.
Smith+Nephew said it submitted its technology, called the TESSA spatial surgery system, to the FDA for 510(k) clearance. The company said that, if cleared, TESSA (tracking-enabled spatial surgery assistant) would combine a real-time, tracking-enabled device powered by a Nvidia GPU. Using video processing and augmented reality guidance, TESSA assists surgeons in making anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) femoral tunnel decisions by navigating an operative plan.
The company aims to bring TESSA to market for ACL surgery in which stereotactic surgeyr may be appropriate. For this indication, reference to rigid anatomical bony structures can also be determined.
Smith+Nephew plans to share more about this new method of surgery at American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in San Diego next week.
“We are excited to unveil our vision for spatial surgery – shaping the future of arthroscopic surgery by empowering healthcare professionals to utilize advanced technologies for patient personalization,” said Scott Schaffner, president of Global Sports Medicine at Smith+Nephew. “Challenging the status quo is what we do best, and we look forward to continuing the conversation and integrating spatial surgery as a core sports medicine discipline if cleared by the FDA.”
