Robotic surgery firm transfers production of camera controller

Freehand has transferred production of its Panorama robotic camera controller to Hyb d.o.o, a manufacturing supplier to blue-chip medical device and automotive organisations. 

Introduced in 2019, the Freehand Panorama provides surgeons conducting laparoscopic procedures with the ability to obtain a 360-degree view of the area they are operating on. The product is particularly suited to gynecological, colorectal, and thoracic surgeries.

By setting up a Panorama production line at Hyb’s specialist manufacturing facility in Slovenia, Freehand aims to supply robots at a much greater scale and keep pace with growing demand from hospitals worldwide. Hyb will build the first batch of 10 Panorama robots at its facility during February 2021.

Hyb has produced the Vista, a Freehand robot providing surgeons with a 180-degree field-of-view, since 2015, and Freehand’s Zoom module, which holds the camera and is replaced for each surgery to ensure sterility. 

Jeremy Russell, chief executive officer at Freehand, said: “With regulatory approval in key markets and proven clinical and financial benefits, we are confident that Freehand can achieve rapid growth and adoption with healthcare providers globally. Partnering with Hyb, a large world-class medical device manufacturer, means we can quickly and cost-effectively scale-up our supply to meet growing demand and ensure we always deliver a high-quality product on a timely basis.”

Ludvik Uhan, executive director for strategy and BD at Hyb, added: “Freehand has developed incredible robotics that is proven to improve patient care and reduce the burden on healthcare resources. We are delighted that Freehand recognised the production quality of Freehand’s Vista robot and Zoom module, and has selected Hyb to produce its Panorama robot, hence deepened its long-lasting partnership with us.”

The start of Panorama production at Hyb coincides with the final week of Freehand’s successful crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube, which closes 11 February 2021. Freehand has already attracted more than 1,000 investors and raised £718,140 - almost two-and-a-half times its initial target - to establish a global team of clinical training specialists and expand its distribution network in Europe, Asia and the Americas.