Brainlab has announced the majority acquisition of medPhoton GmbH, a Salzburg, Austria-based company, that develops and manufactures robotic imaging solutions for image guided radiation therapy and surgery. Over the last years, medPhoton has maintained a close partnership with Brainlab in the field of intraoperative imaging. This collaboration resulted in the market launch of the mobile imaging robot, Loop-X®, in 2020. Brainlab strategically invested in medPhoton, co-funded the development of Loop-X and became the exclusive distributor of the mobile imaging robot in the field of surgery.
“Through the completion of this majority acquisition, we want to build on the previous success of Loop-X and decisively shape the future of intraoperative imaging,” said Stefan Vilsmeier, President and CEO of Brainlab. “In this way, we can combine and align the entrepreneurial pursuits and innovative potential of both companies. Our united goal is to expand the market position of Loop-X as a 3D imaging device for surgery so that doctors can gain access to cutting edge equipment for patient treatment.”
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Loop-X mobile imaging robot is central to the Brainlab robotics portfolio and already part of everyday clinical practice in numerous hospitals worldwide. Loop-X sets new standards in surgery with automated imaging steps and robotic assistance. With the support of Loop-X, surgeons and staff gain flexibility and freedom of movement during surgery through access to high resolution 2D and 3D imaging. The independent movement of the imaging components and collimation capabilities allow non-isocentric imaging. Structures can be covered that are much larger—for example, the pelvis—but, patient tailored imaging now also covers much smaller areas—reducing the radiation volume to where it is needed. Beyond diagnostic imaging, this intelligent robot can capture partial information, “digitizing” anatomical intraoperative changes in order to update a “digital model” of the patient previously generated by aggregating pre-operative images.
Heinz Deutschmann, CEO of medPhoton, looks forward to the expansion of the strategic partnership: “From the very beginning, Brainlab believed in the strength of our innovation, creativity and drive in the field of radiotherapy. Through our partnership, Brainlab provided us with significant support as we established our presence in the surgical device market and developed our production capabilities. Moving forward, we will continue to advance the production of Loop-X as well as coordinate research and development efforts to build next-generation systems with the objective of exploring new medical applications to improve surgical procedures and therapies. The majority acquisition by Brainlab is therefore the next logical step for us to achieve our most important goal: to advance research and development work at the highest level and expand the production of best-in-class medical technology to provide efficient therapies with optimal safety for patients.”
medPhoton will continue to operate as an independent research and development company within the Brainlab Group. Together, Brainlab and medPhoton will explore additional areas of application for the technology including radiotherapy, such as brachytherapy, particle therapy and intraoperative radiation therapy. Both companies will also further expand the capabilities at the medPhoton site in Salzburg, Austria.
