Zimmer Computer Assisted Solutions™
High-speed computers, intelligent tools, 3-D visualization, and cutting-edge technology that allow the surgeon to provide the best patient care possible.
Image guidance is the use of high speed computers and imaging technology to track in real time the location of surgical instrumentation. Think of image guidance working as a surgical-global positioning satellite system (GPS). The satellites are the camera and the map is the radiologic data input into the computer, the Medtronic unit uses fluoroscopic images. The instrument is the handheld GPS unit. The satellite is able to see the location of the GPS relative to its position on earth. In much the same way, the camera is able to determine or track the location of an instrument that enters the field relative to the patient.
Zimmer currently has an exclusive worldwide agreement for MIS Minimally Invasive Solutions™ procedures with Medtronic Surgical Navigation Technologies (MSNT) to develop and market software for surgical navigation. Medtronic is a world leader in image navigation with 55% market share of multi-application image guidance in the US and 45% market share of image guidance in Europe. There are over 1,000 MSNT Treatment Guidance Systems installed worldwide.
The first applications from Medtronic will be Universal Open Hip and Knee. This will allow image guidance for open hip and knee procedures for Zimmer and other orthopaedic companies. This will be available in 1Q03. In relatively short order, this application will be followed by Zimmer NexGen® Complete Knee Solution applications. The MIS Minimally Invasive Solutions procedures will follow in 3Q and 4Q03, with MIS 2-Incision Hip, MIS Mini Incision Hip, MIS TKA, and MIS Mini Knee.
