Cambridge Design Partnership works on new robotic surgery system with Titan Medical
Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) is working on a new robotic surgery system with Canada-based Titan Medical.
The SPORT system aims to offer minimally invasive surgery through a single incision, rather than several - which is the norm in traditional laparoscopic surgery and multi-port robotic systems.
Single-port robotic surgery promises swifter recovery time and less scarring for patients, while offering better access to narrow spaces for surgeons.
Hans Pflaumer, senior mechanical engineer at Toft-based CDP, said: “This technology will mean less invasive procedures for patients, offering improved recovery and less trauma.
“However, for a surgeon to achieve a good result with just a single, small incision creates all sorts of technical and design challenges, which we have worked intensively to overcome.
“In the Titan robot, this is accomplished using a 25mm port which is used to pass a 2D camera, a 3D camera and the multi-articulating instruments into the surgical site.”
CDP and Titan began work on the system last year, and last Friday announced an ongoing partnership for the whole project.
This will lead to a submission for FDA approval in the US, where CDP has a base in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Hans said: “It has been advantageous for our team to be able to work on this project in both the US and UK time zones, effectively giving us a fifteen-hour working day.
“As a consequence, we have been able to deliver significant design improvements in a short space of time.
“We are working on surgical instruments with multiple functions, including cutting, suturing and cauterising.
“We needed to make all these processes as robust and stable as possible for the surgeon, while offering the best possible workspace within the patient.”
The burgeoning robotic surgery market is growing at 11.7 per cent per year, and is predicted to be worth $5.3billon in 2021.
Impington-based unicorn CMR Surgical is already well-placed in the competitive market with its Versius system, which is now in its first hospital in India and is expected to be in place at NHS hospitals and others soon, with new CEO Per Vegard Nerseth in charge of its global commercialisation.
Titan has yet to confirm a release date for its robot, but it is expected to target Europe before the US.
CDP partner Jez Clements said: “We are delighted to be working with Titan Medical on this important project. It’s an exciting technology and one we are proud to be involved with.
“The project played to CDP’s skills in terms of complex electromechanical medical device design.
“Ultimately, we are aiming for surgeons to use this equipment with complete confidence in the operating theatre. The market is ready for this innovation and it will undoubtedly bring huge benefits to patients in the future.”
SPORT featured multi-articulated instruments with single-use replaceable tips, 3D high definition visualisation via a monitor, an ergonomic open workstation and a single-arm mobile patient cart to aid set up. Titan says it will enable broad applications of single and multi-quadrant surgeries.
David McNally, president and CEO of Titan, added: “We are pleased to announce our expanded collaboration with Cambridge Design Partnership.
“Since engaging with them only a few months ago, their highly qualified engineers have rapidly driven innovation and delivered significant performance improvements.”
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