Johnson & Johnson's Surgical Robotics Portfolio: Monarch, VELYS, and Ottava Lead Strategic Expansion

Dec 03, 2024 12:36 CST Updated 12:36

Johnson & Johnson

Medical Device R&D and Manufacturer

Source: MedRobot; Editor: Sophia

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MedRobot

Johnson & Johnson, founded in 1886, is a globally renowned healthcare enterprise. Headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, the company operates over 260 subsidiaries across 60 countries and regions worldwide, with more than 130,000 employees globally. Its product portfolio spans multiple fields, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health.

On October 15, 2024, Johnson & Johnson Medical released its third-quarter financial report, with global revenue of $22.5 billion (approximately 160.1 billion RMB), representing a year-on-year increase of 5.2%.

Johnson & Johnson's surgical robot products mainly include the Monarch natural-orifice diagnostic and therapeutic robot, VELYX orthopedic robot, and Ottava soft tissue robot.

Today, MedRobot will provide an in-depth analysis of Johnson & Johnson's layout in the surgical robotics field for readers' reference.

# The Road to Layout

2019-2022: Strategic Acquisitions and Technological Breakthroughs

On February 13, 2019, Johnson & Johnson announced that it had reached an agreement,In5.75 billionDollar Acquires Auris Health.

Auris Health developed the Monarch platform, a robotic system for lung cancer biopsies, which received FDA approval for lung biopsies in 2018 and for urinary stone removal surgeries in 2022.

In September 2019, Johnson & JohnsonAcquisition of Pelvic Surgery Navigation Software Developed by Surgical Navigation Technology Company JointPoint。

October 2019,TINAVI and Johnson & Johnson Medical signed cooperation agreements for research and development, marketing, and distribution.

On January 19, 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced that its subsidiaryOrthopedic Surgical Robot ProductsVELYS™ Receives FDA Approval for Market Launch。

In 2020, Johnson & Johnson further acquired the remaining shares of Verb Surgical, which was previously co-founded with Google.Fully Take Over the Robotic Surgery Business of Verily, a Google Subsidiary。

In November 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced the launch of a device equipped with six robotic arms.Ottava Soft Tissue Surgical Robot。

On August 24, 2021, FlexDex Surgical completed an RMB 85 million (USD 13 million) Series A financing round led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC) and Almeda Ventures. The funds will be used to support the development of FlexDex Surgical's next-generation advanced laparoscopic instruments with robotic capabilities.

March 21, 2022Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes Acquires CUPTIMIZE™ to Enhance Surgical Robot Planning Capabilities.

On May 2, 2022, Johnson & Johnson announcedIts MONARCH platform has received FDA 510(k) clearance for endourological procedures in the United States.

2023-2024: Marketization Progress and AI Empowerment

On November 12, 2024, Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. FDA had approved itsOttava Surgical RobotInvestigational Device Exemption (IDE) application. This indicates that the company can initiate clinical research on the Ottava surgical robotic platform at clinical trial sites in the United States.
Related Reading:Approved by FDA IDE! Johnson & Johnson Soft Tissue Surgical Robot
On August 2, 2024, Johnson & Johnson announced that its orthopedic companyDePuy Synthes Has been launched in conjunction with eCential Robotics Proprietary dual-use surgical robot and independent navigation platform developed in collaboration。
Related Reading:Johnson & Johnson Strikes! Active Assistance Spine Surgery Robot Approved by FDA!

In June 2024, Johnson & Johnson announced that its orthopedic company, DePuy Synthes, had received 510(k) clearance from the FDA.Application of VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Solution in Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA)。
Related Reading:FDA Approved! Johnson & Johnson Orthopedic Robot Function Upgrade!

March 2024,Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies Announces Collaboration with NVIDIA to Expand AI Applications in Surgery。Its goal is to achieve open innovation and accelerate the delivery of large-scale real-time insights, thereby supporting medical staff before, during, and after surgery.
By integrating NVIDIA's advanced AI solutions into its existing ecosystem and digital infrastructure — including the NVIDIA IGX edge computing platform for building medical devices and the NVIDIA Holoscan edge AI platform — Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies can accelerate the deployment of the infrastructure needed for AI-driven surgical software applications.
Related Reading:Milestone Achieved! AI Technology Empowers Laparoscopic Surgical Robots
On November 6, 2023, Johnson & Johnson Medical Technology announced at the 6th China International Import Expo that its...MONARCH^®Robotic System for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES)(Electronic Bronchoscope Navigation Control System) Approved for Marketing in China.
Related Reading:Johnson & Johnson: MONARCH® Robotic System for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery Approved in China

# Surgical Robot Inventory

Monarch Natural Orifice Diagnosis and Treatment Robotic Platform

Monarch™ Natural Orifice Diagnosis and Treatment Robotic Platform is a globally leading digital platform for early cancer diagnosis and treatment. Utilizing an endoscopic navigation control system, it reaches deep lesions within the patient’s body through natural orifices without incisions, enabling the collection of lesion tissue samples for diagnosis while supporting minimally invasive surgical treatment to minimize patient trauma.

This platform mainly has three major innovations:

Clear and comprehensive intraoperative field of view:Application of Endoscopic Technology with "Three-in-One" Navigation: Full-Process Visualization, Electromagnetic Navigation, and Virtual Reconstruction. After the endoscope enters the human body, it can provide continuous imaging, offering a comprehensive and clear intraoperative view.

Deep Lesions Easily Accessible：Driven by a flexible bronchoscope, it can easily reach deep lesions.

Precise and flexible control：The game controller operates with precision and flexibility, allowing the flexible bronchoscope to achieve 360° angle adjustment.

Through the Monarch™ system, doctors can precisely control the electronic bronchoscope to reach deep lesions in the patient's lungs via the airway with a comprehensive and clear field of view. This improves the diagnostic accuracy rate for peripheral lung lesions such as small pulmonary nodules and will support minimally invasive treatments combined with ablation in the future.

The system helps diagnose early-stage lung cancer in a timely manner, avoiding delays in treatment. It ensures precise localization, prevents unnecessary lung tissue resection, and minimizes patient trauma to the greatest extent.

Ottava Laparoscopic Surgical Robot

Johnson & Johnson's Ottava Surgical Robotic Platform, with its unique design and features, aims to provide unparalleled flexibility and control for surgical interventions.

Image source: TechSci Research (not an official product image)

Four-arm Design:Ottava adopts a four-arm design, which allows the robotic arms to be tucked under the operating table when not in use, achieving zero footprint, increasing operating room space, and improving operating room workflow.

Dual-action Function:Through the "dual-motion" function, the Ottava system can meet critical clinical needs during surgical procedures, such as repositioning the patient without interrupting the surgery, which in traditional surgical robotic systems may require re-docking or interrupting the procedure.

Technological Innovation:Using Ethicon instruments, improve equipment accuracy and performance, backed by decades of innovation and market leadership in minimally invasive surgery, providing leading-edge device-to-tissue and user-to-device interactions.

Digital Ecosystem:Johnson & Johnson's Polyphonic™ Digital Ecosystem is an innovative, open solution designed to provide a more connected surgical experience by integrating world-class surgical technologies, robotics, and surgical software portfolios. The system leverages Johnson & Johnson's global scale and expertise to deliver data and advanced insights for the Ottava surgical robotics platform, supporting clinical decision-making, learning, and collaboration.

These characteristics of the Ottava system give it potential competitive advantages in the surgical robotics field, as well as the ability to deliver superior patient care and surgical outcomes.

VELYS SPINE System

VELYS™ SPINE System is an advanced spinal surgery assistance system with the following features and functions:

Dual Purpose:VELYS™ SPINE System Has Dual Purposes,It can be used as an independent navigation system or as an active robotic platform.Providing flexibility and precision during surgery;

Technology Integration:The system, empowered by features such as VELYS™ Adaptive Tracking Technology and VELYS™ Trajectory Assistance, can provide a customized surgical experience.

Product Portfolio Synergy:Used in synergy with the DePuy Synthes core Spine portfolio, including:

TriALTIS™ Spinal System.
Navigation Instruments: Assist in precise surgical navigation.
SYMPHONY™ Occipito-Cervico-Thoracic (OCT) System: A surgical system specifically designed for the occipito-cervico-thoracic region.
VIPER PRIME™ System: A surgical assistance system.
EXPEDIUM VERSE^®System: An implant or surgical tool system。

The design of active robotic assistance overcomes the drawbacks of current products, such as rigidity and multiple limitations, focusing on flexibility and prioritizing surgical procedures; it adapts to different workflows, bridging the gap between manual and automated surgeries.

And it comes with an easy-to-use interface, allowing doctors to focus on the most important things.

# Latest Financial Report

Innovative Pharmaceuticals: Global sales of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Pharmaceuticals reached $14.6 billion, increasing by 4.9% year-over-year, with operational growth at 6.3%.

Medical Technology:Global sales of Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies reached $7.9 billion, increasing by 5.8% year-over-year, with operational growth at 6.4%.

Sales growth was primarily driven by electrophysiology products in the cardiovascular field, Abiomed (formerly known as interventional solutions), contact lenses in the vision field, and wound closure products in the general surgery field. Growth was partially offset by endocutter products in the advanced surgery field.

# Conclusion

Johnson & Johnson's Layout in the Surgical Robotics Field Reflects Its Continuous Exploration and Diversified Strategy in Medical Technology Innovation. From the acquisition of Auris Health in 2019 to the collaboration with NVIDIA, Johnson & Johnson has gradually built a surgical robotics system covering multiple areas such as pulmonary, orthopedic, and abdominal surgeries. By continuously integrating resources and technology, Johnson & Johnson has taken a leading position in advancing the development of intelligent surgical systems.

Despite these challenges, the surgical robotics field still faces numerous obstacles, including technological maturity, clinical adaptability, and market competition pressure. Whether Johnson & Johnson's strategic layout can play a decisive role in the future medical environment still needs to be tested through continuous iteration and clinical validation.

As AI technology gradually becomes implemented and the demand for surgical procedures continues to grow, Johnson & Johnson's ongoing investment and innovation in this field could potentially influence the development trends of global medical technology. However, in the face of competitors' progress, how Johnson & Johnson maintains its leading position in the surgical robotics sector remains a key factor worth observing.

Well-known Surgical Robot Companies in China:

Minimally Invasive Robot | Rosenthal | Aibohc

Yuanhua Intelligence | Bornes | MicroPort Medical | Xin Jun Te

Sizherui Intelligent Medical | Tudao Medical | Changmu Valley

Zhiyu Healthcare| True Health| SureFlex

Updates from Other Surgical Robotics Companies:

Progress of Chinese Surgical Robot Companies | Progress of Overseas Surgical Robotics Companies

Intelligent Surgery Innovation Enterprises:

Arimedic｜With Rui Innovation｜Good Doctor

2024 Surgical Robotics Industry Awards:

33 Companies Win 2024 Global Surgical Robotics Industry Awards!