Smith & Nephew Shrugs Off Buyout Talk With $275M Blue Belt Technologies Acquisition (MedDeviceOnline)
Smith & Nephew, British-based orthopedics giant, has expanded its foothold in the surgical robotics market with the $275 million acquisition of U.S.-based Blue Belt Technologies and its Navio robotics system. By combining its next-generation products with robotic technology, Smith & Nephew hopes to expand its market share and explore new surgical indications — all under the shadow of chatter about a potential takeover by Johnson & Johnson or Stryker.
Blue Belt Technologies — a spin-off of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute — has been growing the commercial success and expansion of Navio Surgical System, which provides robotic assistance in unicondylar or partial knee replacement surgeries. The portable system boasts hand-held, intelligent bone-shaping instruments and CT-free navigation software for accurate implant placement.
Olivier Bohoun, CEO of Smith & Nephew, remarked in a press release that robotic technology is the future of orthopedic surgery, and the acquisition of Blue Belt Technologies will help the next-generation of Smith & Nephew p...
