Johnson & Johnson's new venture 'Verb Surgical' set to produce surgical robots

Jonhson & Johnson (J&J) has announced the formation of an independent surgical solutions company called Verb Surgical Inc. The new venture will be headed by Scott Huennekens, a renowned business leader in the field of medical devices.

Verb Surgical is a result of collaboration between J&J and the life-sciences division of Google Inc. called Verily Life Sciences LLC. The new venture will develop robots that will assist in surgery.

What makes the collaboration look promising is the effort to change the future of surgery. The Worldwide Chairman of the J&J Medical Devices says that Ethicon, a J&J medical device company, is already developing surgical instruments and equipments for Verb Surgical's newly planned robotics-assisted platform.

According to J&J, Verb Surgical plans to manufacture best state-of-the-art medical device technology for the medical professionals that work in the operating room. The company is planning to include cutting-edge robotic capabilities in their products.

The robotic surgical devices will be developed with the help of its end users, hospitals and surgeons. The outcomes are expected to improve access to minimally invasive surgeries and improvement in hospital efficiency.

"By maximizing the distinct capabilities of these two market-leading companies, we aim to develop novel technologies and solutions to help improve the standard of care around the world,” said Huennekens, in a press statement. “Our name speaks for itself. We are a company dedicated to action and to making a difference in people's lives, in partnership with surgeons globally."

The Wall Street Journal reports that the surgical robots aims to integrate Google’s expertise in computer science, sensors and advanced imaging into the tools that surgeons use in the operation theatre. J&J's surgical robot initiative is not similar to Google's Replicant, a large project to develop robots that can perform simple human functions.

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