European Regulators Approve Medrobotics Flex System

Medrobotics Corporation has obtained CE Mark approval for its Flex system, a robot-assisted flexible endoscopic platform for use in surgical procedures.

The Flex System is designted to provide a cost-effective, robot-assisted surgical platform that enables hospitals and surgeons to expand their minimally-invasive treatment options to more patients. According to Medrobotics, the Flex System enables physicians to navigate the Flex endoscope around anatomical structures to hard-to-reach locations through a single access site, and then use the onboard high-definition vision system to precisely deploy a range of third party flexible surgical instruments.

The wristed three-millimeter Flex Instruments enable surgeons to operate in confined spaces, further extending the reach to important and often challenging areas of the anatomy.

President/CEO Samuel F. Straface, Ph.D., said the Flex system is the first robot-assisted flexible endoscopic platform for use during surgical procedures. “The system enables surgeons to access and visualize hard-to-reach anatomical locations and deploy specially designed flexible surgical instruments to perform procedures,” he noted.

With the CE Mark approval, the company will initiate a limited commercial launch of the product in select European markets. The company prepares for European commercialization of the Flex system in otolaryngology.

Medrobotics Corp. is a privately-held company headquartered in Raynham, Mass., developing and commercializing the Flex System, a robotic-assist platform that enables surgeons to gain single-site access and visualization to hard-to-access anatomical locations. The system provides a precise and stable platform for enhanced visualization and enables two-handed dexterity with compatible third-party instruments having tactile feedback.