Hybrid operating rooms (OR) are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Last year, the nonprofit ECRI Institute reported that fewer than 100 U.S. hospitals have these rooms, according to a USA Today article. However, that number will dramatically jump, with an estimated 15% increase annually in hospitals adding them in the near future.
Multinational company Siemens Healthcare ($SI) seems to have recognized this trend. And to expand its reach in this arena, it has just announced an agreement with Maquet, a unit of Sweden's Getinge Group, to introduce a combined system for diagnostics and surgical procedures for use in hybrid ORs.
Under the worldwide agreement, the partners will integrate Maquet's Magnus hybrid operating table with Siemens' Artis zeego and Artis zee ceiling interventional imaging systems. Artis zeego is the only robotic C-arm system that can adapt to the various heights of the Magnus table, so doctors can either sit or stand during procedures. The combination can be used for angiographic imaging, as well as major surgical procedures.
The partners are aiming for a quick turnaround, with a planned market introduction in the third quarter. And, according to the companies, the potential for hybrid ORs is huge--providing benefits in the fields of cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, traumatology and urology.
Maquet is looking to become a market leader in supplying the hybrid OR. And through this new agreement with the multinational conglomerate, it definitely stands to gain a major boost. Late last year, the company announced that it was restructuring its U.S. sales and services organization to meet the needs of hybrid ORs.
- check out the Siemens release
- read the Maquet statement