Move over Intuitive Surgical - well maybe not quite yet - but the US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light for Johnson & Johnson MedTech's OTTAVA™ robotic surgical system to begin human clinical trials in the US ,thanks to an investigational device exemption.
J & J announced the news this week in a press release, which included this statement: “We are bringing the best of J&J MedTech’s surgery expertise to the OTTAVA system and taking a holistic view of the science of surgery to enable new experiences across all surgical modalities in service of patients around the world,” said Hani Abouhalka, Company Group Chairman, Surgery, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “Meeting this milestone brings us a step closer to delivering on our promise to make technology more human, care more adaptive, and people more connected so that surgery works better for everyone.”
The new robotic surgery tool is a bed-based surgical system. J & J continues to describe it in their November 12 release: "The OTTAVA system features four, low-profile robotic arms incorporated into the operating table that can be stowed underneath. This unified architecture allows for a compact footprint designed to support robotic, laparoscopic, hybrid, and open surgery with more working space for clinical teams."
It will still take quite some time before the OTTAVA™ robotic surgical system will be marketed and sold, because it must fulfill the human trial phase - and pass it first. The World will be watching.
