JAPAN – Olympus, a global medtech company committed to making people’s lives healthier has released its Thunderbeat open fine jaw type X surgical energy devices for open surgery.

Surgical energy devices are hand-held devices used by doctors to seal blood vessels, cut tissue and stop bleeding.

Thunderbeat features a new thermal shield designed to support safer procedures. The initial launch covers Japan.

Olympus plans for a commercial launch in Europe, the US, and South Korea next month. Launches in other countries and regions are slated to follow.

Olympus’ Thunderbeat portfolio includes hybrid energy devices that deliver both ultrasonic and bipolar energy simultaneously.

Uses include tissue management, such as hemostatic cutting and dissection, in laparoscopic surgery and open surgery.

The company said the devices eliminate the need for multiple instruments during the surgery. This contributes to efficiency in the operating room and reduced operation time.

The company designed the new device for open surgical procedures that require delicate and fine tissue dissection, such as in thyroidectomy or radical neck dissection.

The thermal shield improves the thermal profile on the grasping surface to reduce the risk of unintended heat damage.

Its jaw maintains a finely curved tip for precise dissection and enhanced visibility, the company said.

Olympus said Thunderbeat offers the output of both bipolar and ultrasonic energy enabling “a variety of operations.”

It contributes to fast hemostatic cutting, easy dissection, and reliable vessel sealing and division. The separate bipolar function enables vessel sealing and spot coagulation without cutting when desired.

Venture capital fund for startups

In other news, Olympus has established Olympus Innovation Ventures, a new venture capital fund focused on healthcare start-ups.

Olympus Innovation Ventures will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation of the Americas.

The venture capital fund will support start-ups aimed at improving patient outcomes, advancing the detection and treatment of disease, and transforming surgery.

It will invest in advanced technologies that improve clinical outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and enhance the quality of life for patients.

The new fund is built on the company’s strategy to strengthen endoscopy and develop next-generation solutions for minimally invasive surgery.

Olympus said that the new venture fund prioritizes early- and growth-stage companies worldwide, with solutions in gastroenterology, respiratory, and urology areas.

The company has allocated US$50m for initial commitments and follow-on investments in portfolio companies.

It will also support its portfolio companies by contributing its clinical and technical expertise, access to healthcare professionals and hospitals, and help launch and scale the solutions in the global market.

Touchdown Ventures, a company that is specialized in corporate venture capital has been selected to help manage Olympus Innovation Ventures fund.

It will work closely with Olympus senior executives to support all aspects of the fund.

Olympus Innovation Ventures, a fully owned subsidiary of Olympus Corp, was established in 2021 to support startups that provide digital solutions to diagnose and treat diseases.

As a first step, Olympus Innovation Ventures took part in the series A funding for Virgo Surgical Video Solutions Inc to support the development of artificial intelligence-powered platforms for endoscopy procedures.

Following the launch of this venture fund, GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company recent report showed that Olympus Corp’s collaboration with startups is poised to advance innovations in the MedTech industry.

The GlobalData research reveals that Olympus Corp was the market leader for endoscopy devices, accounting for around 23% of the global market in 2021.

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