Creo Medical Group PLC (AIM:CREO) said the first surgical procedure has taken place in the UK using its new Speedboat UltraSlim endoscopy device, as the first stage in its commercial launch.
The design transfer to manufacturing was completed last week, the company said.
Pointing to “significant demand” for the product from existing Speedboat device users, chief executive Craig Gulliford said the company will target an early market release to a designated early adopter programme over the coming weeks before the full market launch in early 2024.
With the first having been a lower GI procedure, Creo said it expects the first European upper GI cases to follow soon, as well as the first upper and lower GI cases in the USA, where regulatory clearance was received last month.
The third Speedboat product, the UltraSlim model is a smaller version of Creo's existing Speedboat Inject, making it compatible with all major endoscopes used in gastrointestinal procedures.
It is designed to be used for treating diseases in the GI tract including cancers of the bowel, stomach and oesophagus as well as surgical procedures to deal with swallowing disorders or gastric reflux.
Gulliford said it was “another landmark moment” for Creo.
“We know what a difference this even smaller device will make in terms of broadening access to advanced energy in endoscopy for a wider pool of clinicians.”