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Stéphane Lavallée, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of enabling technology in medical devices for more than 30 years. It’s no surprise that he’s playing the long game with his latest robot for the orthopedic industry.
Dr. Lavallée is the Founder and CEO of eCential Robotics, which recently announced FDA 510(k) clearance for its 2D/3D imaging, navigation and robotics guidance platform. The platform is designed to avoid the pitfalls of traditional image-navigation pairings, such as unreliable calibration and registration steps.
What separates eCential Robotics’ system from many others on the market and in development is its agnostic, open platform. For example, DePuy Synthes’ VELYS robotic-assisted system only works with the company’s ATTUNE knee replacement implants. VELYS was designed from proprietary technology developed by and acquired from Orthotaxy, Dr. Lavallée’s previous company.
Now, Dr. Lavallée wants to increase access to robotic-assisted surgery for every company and across all procedures. He compares his new platform to the iPhone of medical device robots. eCential Robotics will collaborate with technology firms and device companies to pair the robotic system with proprietary and branded apps that work with OEMs’ implants and procedure techniques.
Dr. Lavallée realizes that it could take years to move the market, but he believes orthopedic companies, surgeons and hospitals will buy into his vision. We sat down with Dr. Lavallée to learn more about his latest technology and his outlook on the orthopedic industry’s robotics market.
How is your technology different than others on the market today?
Dr. Lavallée: To our knowledge, the robot is the only one that can compensate in real-time and detect patient motion. If your patient moves when you push with the tool, there’s dynamic compensation. The technology also features a fully unified platform, which includes a robot and 2D- and 3D-imaging. The integration and unification make the workflow seamless.
That said, we will release a new solution that connects the robot with existing 3D-imaging devices. The robot will be more flexible for the market if we do not impose our imaging device.
The most critical element is that our robot is not associated with a specific implant. We are agnostic. The company strategy is to develop apps with implant companies. We want to create the possibility for any implant company – regardless of their size – to develop apps for our platform.
I have been in robotics since the ’80s and built my first robot with Professor (Alim Louis) Benabid for brain stimulation. I have built many robotics and many technologies around robotics. I believe it is time for an open platform.
How do the apps work? Are they specific to procedures or companies?
Dr. Lavallée: Both. Some vendors will develop apps, and there will be generic apps driven by indication. That’s an important question because today the robotics market is driven by three types of implants: knee, hip and spine. The shoulder is in development. There’s also a need in sports medicine and trauma.
There is value in robotics in all procedures. If I need to have my ACL repaired, I want a robot, but no implant company will pay for that. I want to rehabilitate the value of robotics in the field of orthopedics and spine as it exists in other fields.
If you have a da Vinci surgical system, nobody will say, “I’m going to make a rebate or contract with implants.” No. The patients want it, so the hospital buys it, and the surgeon is happy.
There is significant merit if spine, knee, hip and shoulder companies pull together and demonstrate to patients and hospitals that robotics has true value.
How do you get people to buy into this market shift?
Dr. Lavallée: First, there is less and less contradiction because there is a vision and strategy. I think the market for proprietary systems is here to stay for the next 10 years. The market will not change in the next two or three years. But I think everybody agrees that will not be the case long term. Open platforms with apps will be the future of the market. I don’t hear contradictions about this vision anymore.
The key is to involve companies and surgeons in developing the apps.
How would you describe the robotic-assisted surgery market today in orthopedics?
Dr. Lavallée: It’s still in its infancy. The knee is taking off. There is still controversy in spine.
We face issues with the technology itself. Too many surgeons have told me, ”I’m losing time. It’s stressful.” It should be the opposite. We have yet to pass this critical point. But I expect the industry will pass it in the next couple of years.
Fantastic products are coming to market. A lot of progress has been made. I hope companies will continue to innovate.
Consider the soft tissue market and how Intuitive Surgical paved the way. If you don’t have a robot in neurology, you lose patients to another hospital. I want to be the da Vinci of bone surgery.
You are considered a pioneer in the space. You’ve founded and sold multiple companies, including one to Johnson & Johnson and one to Exactech. Where do you see the robotics market 10 years from now?
Dr. Lavallée: For the last 50 years, this industry has developed surgical techniques, implants, instruments and workflows with their surgeon opinion leaders.
The need for an open platform and apps is a new wave. It’s truly surgery point zero with the new concept of making everything digital. Hundreds of potential apps can be developed with implant companies to automate surgeries.
eCential Robotics is the iPhone. There will be apps all over the world for all indications.
Robotics is ubiquitous. What attracted you to the orthopedic market in the first place?
Dr. Lavallée: Well, it’s been my life’s work. My Ph.D. involved developing a robot for neurosurgery. My team did not realize what we were doing. It was a bit crazy. We were not conscious if we could do it. In three years, we used the robot on our first patient. It answered a need from surgeons to precisely position needles for deep brain stimulation to stop Parkinson’s disease.
It was fantastic to see. We could cure the patient instantaneously. I thought, “Oh my god, I’m an engineer, and I can do this.” With the passion that came from that revelation, I said, “Okay, this is what I’m doing with my life.” And I’m doing it.
Stéphane Lavallée, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of enabling technology in medical devices for more than 30 years. It’s no surprise that he’s playing the long game with his latest robot for the orthopedic industry.
Dr. Lavallée is the Founder and CEO of eCential Robotics, which recently announced FDA 510(k) clearance for its 2D/3D imaging,...
Stéphane Lavallée, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of enabling technology in medical devices for more than 30 years. It’s no surprise that he’s playing the long game with his latest robot for the orthopedic industry.
Dr. Lavallée is the Founder and CEO of eCential Robotics, which recently announced FDA 510(k) clearance for its 2D/3D imaging, navigation and robotics guidance platform. The platform is designed to avoid the pitfalls of traditional image-navigation pairings, such as unreliable calibration and registration steps.
What separates eCential Robotics’ system from many others on the market and in development is its agnostic, open platform. For example, DePuy Synthes’ VELYS robotic-assisted system only works with the company’s ATTUNE knee replacement implants. VELYS was designed from proprietary technology developed by and acquired from Orthotaxy, Dr. Lavallée’s previous company.
Now, Dr. Lavallée wants to increase access to robotic-assisted surgery for every company and across all procedures. He compares his new platform to the iPhone of medical device robots. eCential Robotics will collaborate with technology firms and device companies to pair the robotic system with proprietary and branded apps that work with OEMs’ implants and procedure techniques.
Dr. Lavallée realizes that it could take years to move the market, but he believes orthopedic companies, surgeons and hospitals will buy into his vision. We sat down with Dr. Lavallée to learn more about his latest technology and his outlook on the orthopedic industry’s robotics market.
How is your technology different than others on the market today?
Dr. Lavallée: To our knowledge, the robot is the only one that can compensate in real-time and detect patient motion. If your patient moves when you push with the tool, there’s dynamic compensation. The technology also features a fully unified platform, which includes a robot and 2D- and 3D-imaging. The integration and unification make the workflow seamless.
That said, we will release a new solution that connects the robot with existing 3D-imaging devices. The robot will be more flexible for the market if we do not impose our imaging device.
The most critical element is that our robot is not associated with a specific implant. We are agnostic. The company strategy is to develop apps with implant companies. We want to create the possibility for any implant company – regardless of their size – to develop apps for our platform.
I have been in robotics since the ’80s and built my first robot with Professor (Alim Louis) Benabid for brain stimulation. I have built many robotics and many technologies around robotics. I believe it is time for an open platform.
How do the apps work? Are they specific to procedures or companies?
Dr. Lavallée: Both. Some vendors will develop apps, and there will be generic apps driven by indication. That’s an important question because today the robotics market is driven by three types of implants: knee, hip and spine. The shoulder is in development. There’s also a need in sports medicine and trauma.
There is value in robotics in all procedures. If I need to have my ACL repaired, I want a robot, but no implant company will pay for that. I want to rehabilitate the value of robotics in the field of orthopedics and spine as it exists in other fields.
If you have a da Vinci surgical system, nobody will say, “I’m going to make a rebate or contract with implants.” No. The patients want it, so the hospital buys it, and the surgeon is happy.
There is significant merit if spine, knee, hip and shoulder companies pull together and demonstrate to patients and hospitals that robotics has true value.
How do you get people to buy into this market shift?
Dr. Lavallée: First, there is less and less contradiction because there is a vision and strategy. I think the market for proprietary systems is here to stay for the next 10 years. The market will not change in the next two or three years. But I think everybody agrees that will not be the case long term. Open platforms with apps will be the future of the market. I don’t hear contradictions about this vision anymore.
The key is to involve companies and surgeons in developing the apps.
How would you describe the robotic-assisted surgery market today in orthopedics?
Dr. Lavallée: It’s still in its infancy. The knee is taking off. There is still controversy in spine.
We face issues with the technology itself. Too many surgeons have told me, ”I’m losing time. It’s stressful.” It should be the opposite. We have yet to pass this critical point. But I expect the industry will pass it in the next couple of years.
Fantastic products are coming to market. A lot of progress has been made. I hope companies will continue to innovate.
Consider the soft tissue market and how Intuitive Surgical paved the way. If you don’t have a robot in neurology, you lose patients to another hospital. I want to be the da Vinci of bone surgery.
You are considered a pioneer in the space. You’ve founded and sold multiple companies, including one to Johnson & Johnson and one to Exactech. Where do you see the robotics market 10 years from now?
Dr. Lavallée: For the last 50 years, this industry has developed surgical techniques, implants, instruments and workflows with their surgeon opinion leaders.
The need for an open platform and apps is a new wave. It’s truly surgery point zero with the new concept of making everything digital. Hundreds of potential apps can be developed with implant companies to automate surgeries.
eCential Robotics is the iPhone. There will be apps all over the world for all indications.
Robotics is ubiquitous. What attracted you to the orthopedic market in the first place?
Dr. Lavallée: Well, it’s been my life’s work. My Ph.D. involved developing a robot for neurosurgery. My team did not realize what we were doing. It was a bit crazy. We were not conscious if we could do it. In three years, we used the robot on our first patient. It answered a need from surgeons to precisely position needles for deep brain stimulation to stop Parkinson’s disease.
It was fantastic to see. We could cure the patient instantaneously. I thought, “Oh my god, I’m an engineer, and I can do this.” With the passion that came from that revelation, I said, “Okay, this is what I’m doing with my life.” And I’m doing it.
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Carolyn LaWell is ORTHOWORLD's Chief Content Officer. She joined ORTHOWORLD in 2012 to oversee its editorial and industry education. She previously served in editor roles at B2B magazines and newspapers.
