Medtronic plc. Ordinary Shares (NYSE:MDT) has announced that it has launched a surgical navigation system known as StealthStation ENT which is used in procedures that affect the throat, nose and ears. Both CE Mark and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have given clearance for the system.
In order to work, the surgical navigation system developed by the medical devices manufacturer generates an electromagnetic field around the target anatomy of the patient in the course of the surgery. This allows positioning of instruments in a way that can be tracked dynamically.
Patient outcomes
“Our goal is to improve outcomes for ENT patients by delivering innovative, market-leading products and solutions. StealthStation ENT is one of the ways Medtronic continues to expand the boundaries of what’s possible with ENT navigation,” said the general manager and vice president of Medtronic’s ENT unit Vince Racano.
With this computer-aided surgery device, surgeons are assisted in clarifying complex anatomy in the course of a skull and sinus base surgery. Medtronic’s StealthStation ENT system also offers surgeons enhanced visualization as well as new hardware and software innovations that includes virtual endoscopy. This provides a simulated sinus cavity view, areas of the human anatomy that were previously inaccessible using a traditional endoscope. With virtual endoscopy it is possible for surgeons to load the preoperative data of the patient in order to practice prior to conducting the surgery itself.
Operating room efficiency
Some features of the StealthStation ENT system were introduced with a view to ensuring operating room efficiency and this includes an emitter which can be placed below the head of the patient. This offers more space for those standing around the operating table. There is also a high-resolution touchscreen measuring 27 inches that possesses a user interface that is intuitive and which can be customized by the surgeon.
The launch of the new surgical navigation system comes a few days after Medtronic announced a global recall its MiniMed infusion sets after they were found to have a flaw which made them likely to cause insulin overdelivery.
On Tuesday shares of Medtronic rose by 0.91% to close the day at $82.30.
