DePuy Synthes, a leader in orthopaedic technologies and solutions, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire selective rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Gemtrack technology across its Joints portfolio, including shoulder, hip and knee, for both navigation and robotic applications. Gemtrack is a proprietary tracking technology developed by MinMaxMedical (MMM), a Grenoble-based pioneer in medtech and surgical innovation.
Pending successful product development and regulatory approvals, DePuy Synthes aims to bring first-to-market Radiofrequency (RF) miniature tracker technology across joint reconstruction procedures, with the potential to establish a new industry standard for integrated image-guided and robotic-assisted Joint surgery within the VELYS Enabling Tech Portfolio.
Current robotics and navigation systems in orthopaedics mostly rely on infrared cameras, direct line-of-sight tracking, and invasive pins or bulky arrays attached to the patient. RF technology has the potential to eliminate the need for infrared cameras and line-of-sight dependence, reduce the reliance on invasive anchors, and enable continuous, highly accurate real-time tracking.
“Stéphane Lavallée and his companies have successfully collaborated with DePuy Synthes, including for the VELYS Robotic Assisted Solution for knee arthroplasty and the VELYS Active Robotic Assistance for spine,” said Namal Nawana, worldwide president, DePuy Synthes. “This new collaboration will be applied broadly to the VELYS ecosystem to reduce the reliance on line-of-sight dependent navigation and offering the potential for improved navigation precision.”
