这是2019年的七个关键时刻，它将在未来几年内塑造外科手术机器人市场。

        目前医疗器械行业最热门的市场之一是外科机器人。根据Allied Market Research的一份报告，该领域市场空间在2017年为0.563亿美元，预计到2024年将增长至987.37亿美元，预测期间的复合年增长率为8.5%。2019年是外科机器人技术的爆发增长元年。MD+DI网站盘点了2019年手术机器人领域七个重要时刻。

        达芬奇机器人：推进降价策略

        直觉外科自2000年获得FDA批准上市以来，一直是手术机器人市场的领导者。然而，竞争对手已经逐渐出现并增加。直觉外科的高管表示，随着竞争越来越激烈，新产品的推出，公司可能会通过“降价策略”来获得更大的市场，也就是增加价格谈判和谈判时间的延长。该公司表示，这些动态也可能导致利润波动。但对于一些原本认为其定价过高的医院和医疗中心来说，可能是个号消息。

        CMR的两大胜利

        总部位于英国剑桥的CMR今年过得不错。九月份，公司在C轮融资中募集了2.43亿美元，用于它的机器人辅助手术装置商业化。上个月，该公司完成了向位于印度普纳的银河护理医院（Galaxy Care Hospital）出售其首台设备的交易。CMR成立于5年前，并在媒体上公开表示，希望明年能得到FDA的认可。

        Verb：新CEO上任

        Verb是强生公司的Ethicon部门和verly生命科学公司的合资企业。这项合作发生在verly（前谷歌生命科学部门）与众多医药科技公司合作的时候。虽然Verb在成立之初就大放异彩，但该公司在2019年一直相当安静。然而，今年6月，Verb再次成为头条新闻，当时它宣布库尔特•阿扎尔巴津（Kurt Azarbarzin）将出任新总裁兼首席执行官。阿扎尔巴津曾是SurgiQuest的首席执行官，直到2015年被Conmed（康美）以2.65亿美元收购。Azarbarzin是一个大牌人物，他接替了Verb前首席执行官ScottHuennekens，后者于去年年底离开公司。

        泰坦医疗（Titan Medical）：暂停开发

        泰坦医疗公司（Titan Medical）在运动机器人手术系统上遇到了一个巨大的障碍，并在10月中旬宣布撤回所有有关该平台成本和时间的预测，暂停开发。Titan Medical表示，融资不足是导致推迟的原因。然而，泰坦并没有让它停止。该公司正寻求募集2500万美元的资金，以帮助这项运动的系统回到正轨。

        XACT：获得FDA的上市批准

        XACT机器人公司的手术机器人获得FDA上市批准。该装置在CT引导下经皮介入治疗过程中得以使用。这家总部位于以色列的手术机器人公司，背后的令人惊叹的原因是，它是首个基于图像规划和导航，无需手动操作的机器人系统，能够自动引导各种仪器在一系列临床应用和适应症中进行插入和转向操作。

        强生：34亿美元收购Auris

        强生以34亿美元现金（约合人民币230亿元）对价收购手术机器人公司Auris，如果达到某些里程碑，还需要支付至多23.5亿美元的额外或有款项。这也将成为强生在收购外科手术软件机器人技术开发公司Orthotaxy时隔一年后再度在这一领域的出击。

        Auris 是由外科机器人先驱弗里德里克·莫尔（Frederic Moll）创立，他同时也是全球手术机器人龙头Intuitive Surgical（直觉外科）的联合创始人之一，后者的达芬奇机器人目前占据了很大份额的市场。Frederic Moll也在收购后加入强生。

        Auris专注于肺癌机器人技术，其核心产品是一款名为Monarch的，可由外科医生通过一个控制器进行控制的机器人，引导一个带有摄录机的观察镜进入病人体内，可用于诊断性和治疗性的支气管镜检查，这种检查中医生需将仪器插入病人的鼻孔或口腔。

        美敦力：打造医疗机器人帝国

        9月24日，美敦力在投资人会议上发布了其新一代手术机器人Hugo RAS。Hugo RAS使用模块化的解决方案，重点克服手术机器人成本和应用的障碍。

        美敦力公司微创疗法小组执行副总裁兼总裁鲍勃·怀特说：“这不仅仅是发布一款新品机器人，我们是要打造机器人帝国。”

        去年12月29日，美敦力就宣布以17亿美元（约合人民币120亿元）收购以色列医疗设备公司Mazor Robotics及其机器人辅助手术平台，该公司主要产品为Mazor X制导系统和Renaissance机器人辅助脊柱手术设备。

        在收购完成后的一个月，美敦力在美国推出了Mazor X Stealth™机器人辅助脊柱手术平台。

        Mazor X Stealth™ 机器人系统将美敦力的Stealth软件与Mazor现有的机器人技术相结合。通过交互式三维规划和信息系统提供实时图像引导，可视化和导航，提供工作流程可预测性和灵活性。它使用3D摄像头，引导标记和机械臂，以持续监视工具和仪器相对于脊柱的位置，并按计划精确定位它们。

        美敦力最新季度（2020财年第一季度）财报显示，在脊柱业务的增长中，手术机器人正在对脊柱业务增长起到拉动作用。

        在国内，监管部门同样也在大力助推医疗机器人的运用。《中国制造2025》中，生物医药和高性能医疗器械是重点突破的十大领域之一。《2017-2023年中国手术机器人产业竞争现状及未来发展趋势报告》显示，未来我国手术机器人的行业规模将在2021年到达200亿。

        而手术机器人对于骨科植入物市场的拉动力非常大，也成为各大骨科巨头的必争之地。


        原文如下：

One of the hottest markets in the medical device industry right now is surgical robotics. The space, valued at $56.3 million in 2017, is expected to grow to $98,737 million by 2024 with a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast, according to a report from Allied Market Research. Growth is happening now and 2019 has been a breakout year for surgical robotics – from product unveilings to delays. MD+DI is counting down the Top 7 developments for Surgical Robotics in 2019.

The Art of Negotiation

For years Intuitive Surgical has been at the top of the surgical robotics market – having gained a nod from FDA for the da Vinci Robot in 2000. (Whew that’s a lot of lead time.) However, competitors are>increased price negotiations and elongated negotiation timelines as competition gets closer to launching new products. The company said these dynamics could also result in profit fluctuations. This could be a plus for some hospitals and healthcare centers that have had issues with the da Vinci’s pricing.

CMR’s Two Big Wins

Cambridge, UK-based CMR has had a good year. In September, the company raised $243 million (wow!) in a Series C round to commercialize its Versius robot-assisted surgery device. And then last month the company completed the sale of its first unit to the Galaxy Care Hospital in Pune, India. CMR was founded 5 years ago and has publicly stated in media outlets that it hopes to have a nod from FDA next year.

Verb’s New Leadership

Verb is a joint venture between Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Unit and Verily Life Sciences. The collaboration happened during the time when Verily (the former life sciences unit of Google) was partnering with numerous companies in the medtech and pharmaceutical space. While Verb made a big splash when it was first formed, the company has been fairly quiet in 2019. However, in June Verb once again made headlines when it announced Kurt Azarbarzin would be its new president and CEO. Azarbarzin was the former CEO of SurgiQuest, until it was acquired by Conmed for $265 million in 2015. Azarbarzin is a big name and succeeds former Verb CEO Scott Huennekens, who left the company at the end of last year.

When Titan Hit Pause

Titan Medical hit a huge roadblock with the Sport robotic surgical system and announced in mid-October that it was withdrawing all forecasts with respect to the cost and timing of the platform. The Toronto-based company said a lack of financing was the reason behind the delay. Titan isn’t letting this stop it, however. The company is seeking to raise $25 million in an offering that could help get the Sport’s system back on track.

XACT Brings Home OK from FDA

XACT Robotics secured a coveted FDA nod for its robotic system. The device was cleared for use during CT-guided percutaneous interventional procedures. The wow factor behind the Caesarea, Isreal-based company’s robot is that it is the first hands-free robotic system combining image-based planning and navigation with the insertion and steering of various instruments across an array of clinical applications and indications.

Johnson & Johnson’s Glow Up in Surgical Robotics

Johnson & Johnson pulled off>Frederic Moll, M.D., CEO and Founder of Auris Health, joined J&J. Moll is also known for cofounding Intuitive Surgical. With this acquisition and J&J’s Verb the company now has multiple shots on goal in the world of surgical robotics.

Medtronic’s Done Dropping Hints

Medtronic teased us all year long with tidbits and hints about its upcoming soft-tissue surgical robotics system. After some delays in 2018 with scant details about the platform, the Dublin-based company opened up a bit in June with the announcement of a collaboration with Karl Storz. The firm said its upcoming robotic-assisted surgical platform would incorporate Karl Storz’s 3D vision systems and visualization components. To boot the two companies had been working style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 184, 214); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">announced in August it would unveil the robot during an investor’s meeting in September. And that it did. After a lengthy demonstration, Medtronic said it anticipates submitting for CE mark in the Q1 of the company's fiscal year 2021 (Medtronic's fiscal year begins in April), and filing for a U.S. investigational device exemption to begin placing systems in U.S. hospitals, training surgeons, and gathering clinical data in the first half of its fiscal year 2021. If all goes as planned, the system could be available both in Europe and in the U.S. within the next 24 months.

来源：MD+DI网站   原作者：Omar Ford   编译整理：联盟菌（医疗器械经销商联盟）