Dive Brief:
- Johnson & Johnson’s orthopedics business said Tuesday it has struck a deal to buy technology for real-time tracking during procedures.
- The J&J unit, DePuy Synthes, is buying the technology for an undisclosed amount from French medtech company MinMaxMedical. DePuy Synthes will have selective rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the technology, called Gemtrack.
- Gemtrack uses radiofrequency tracking, offering an alternative to orthopedic robotics and navigation systems that rely on infrared cameras, direct line of sight and invasive anchors.
Dive Insight:
DePuy Synthes has agreed to buy the technology for use across its joints portfolio, including shoulder, hip and knee procedures. The J&J unit, which sees navigation and robotic applications for the assets, aims to be the first company to bring radiofrequency miniature tracker technology to market for joint reconstruction procedures.
By combining the technology with its Velys platform, DePuy Synthes hopes to establish a new standard for integrated image-guided and robotic-assisted joint surgery. The company sees limitations to current systems.
Today, most systems use infrared cameras, direct line-of-sight tracking and invasive pins or bulky arrays attached to the patient. The radiofrequency-enabled system could support continuous, accurate real-time tracking.
DePuy Synthes has yet to provide a timeline for bringing the technology to market. The company plans to provide details of program milestones and timing as development and regulatory pathways progress.
The deal is the latest in a series of agreements between DePuy Synthes and organizations associated with entrepreneur and MinMaxMedical founder Stéphane Lavallée. In 2018, DePuy Synthes bought a robotic-assisted surgery startup, Orthotaxy, that Lavallée founded. Another Lavallée-founded company, eCential Robotics, worked with J&J to develop the Velys Spine surgical robot and navigation platform.
DePuy Synthes’ latest deal with a Lavallée startup comes as the J&J unit prepares to separate from its parent company. J&J shared plans to spin out the orthopedics business in October. At the time, an Edward Jones analyst predicted splitting from J&J could enable DePuy Synthes to focus more attention on innovation and bringing products to market faster.
