Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE:JNJ) MedTech unit plans to submit an application to the US Food and Drug Administration that would allow it to launch clinical trials of a four-armed surgical robot in the second half of 2024, the company said Tuesday.
The robot, named Ottava, includes four mechanical arms attached to a standard surgical table. It is capable of repositioning a patient without interrupting the surgery, according to the company.
“Ottava” means to play music an octave higher in Italian. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) first unveiled details about the surgical robot in 2020.
“Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was born in surgery with the advent of sterile sutures, and we have since helped surgeons improve care for patients by offering transformative technologies across all types of surgery,” Hani Abouhalka, the company’s chair of robotics and digital surgery, said in a statement.
“We believe the future of surgery is personal. Starting with the human impact – the connection between the patient, surgeon, and OR staff – we are unlocking what science and technology can do to improve the surgical experience and health outcomes for everyone involved. Ottava is designed to consistently deliver this experience in any OR globally.”
Shares of JNJ were nearly flat Tuesday morning.
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