Knee surgery tool given FDA approval following development with Sagentia Innovation

With 510(k) clearance from the FDA, Fremont, California-based THINK Surgical can now market TMINI, a wireless robotic handpiece designed to assist surgeons in performing total knee replacement. 

Following a CT-based three-dimensional surgical plan, the TMINI robotic handpiece automatically compensates for surgeon hand movement to locate bone pins along precisely defined planes. Cutting guides are then connected to the bone pins for accurate bone resection. Along with ease of use, TMINI can replace many instruments used for knee replacement surgery.

MORE FROMM MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE

Cambridgeshire-based consultants Sagentia Innovation were chosen by THINK Surgical to act as primary development partners of TMINI. Part of their remit required them to develop the turnkey subsystem (TMINI robotic handpiece, battery charger), which involved electrical, mechanical, and software design from concept through to verification, pilot builds and transfer to manufacture.

A key element of TMINI is the pairing interaction between a camera placed over the site of the operation and the handpiece. Tim Frearson, Sagentia Innovation TMINI project manager explained that latency was a challenge.