Mazor's Renaissance approved for brain surgery

  Mazor Robotics' Renaissance just received FDA clearance for neuro procedures. "Mazor's Renaissance system and its predecessor, SpineAssist, have been used in several thousand spine surgeries, including procedures for scoliosis and other complex spinal deformities, osteotomies, and biopsies. The company says that its technology is also applicable to brain surgery for uses such as biopsies, placements of shunts, and placement of neurostimulation electrodes, such as those used for deep brain stimulation." The first brain surgery was performed at HSK Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany. 

The company hopes to provide the neuro setup as an add-on to the already cleared spine application from early 2013. Previously, application accuracy of the system has proved to be 1 mm, with 98.7% accurate pedicel screw placement ratio. Preceeding, Mazor's SpineAssist was successfully utilized in over 2,000 spinal surgeries worldwide, accurately placing more than 12,000 implants. The first 2 Renaissance systems were sold in November 2011, for $700K each.