Siemens Healthcare to Acquire CAS Innovations

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) is planning to strengthen its position in the field of computer-assisted surgery with the acquisition of CAS innovations AG (Erlangen, Germany).

CAS innovations manufactures surgical navigation systems that improves planning for operations while at the same time making them faster and safer. The primary focus is on systems for trauma surgery and orthopedics, e.g., for hip, knee, and spine operations, as well as on interventional radiology.

"Through more intensive integration between our imaging systems and the navigation technology from CAS innovations in the future, we will make the work of physicians easier and open up new possibilities in the area of minimally invasive interventions,” said Dr. Jochen Dick, CEO of the Special Systems (SP) Business Unit at Siemens Healthcare. "Workflows will be optimized from planning to therapy control, allowing us to improve the quality of medical care while simultaneously reducing the costs.”

Many operations are now planned and performed with the aid of imaging systems such as mobile X-ray units. These systems provide the clinician with accurate insight into the patient's anatomy. Due to surgical navigation systems, the surgeon can additionally work out on the computer what approximate path needs to be taken before the operation, e.g., to optimally reach deep-lying organs that are difficult to access. During the intervention, the system shows the surgeon the position of the operating instruments directly on-screen as well as possible deviations from the previously defined route in the body.

"We've been following the strategy of innovative imaging combined with navigation technology for quite a while,” commented Dr. Ralf Petzold, president of CAS innovations. "Jointly with Siemens Healthcare we will open up new markets and offer the customer solutions that are tailored to the needs of the daily clinical routine.”

Siemens Healthcare is one of the world's largest healthcare solution providers. The corporation is a medical solutions provider with core competencies and innovative power in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge processing, including information technology and system integration. With its acquisitions in laboratory diagnostics, Siemens Healthcare is a fully integrated diagnostics company that combines imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy solutions, and medical information technology, and supplements these with consultation and services.

CAS innovations develops and sells systems for navigation in the operating room. The systems are used in orthopedics and emergency surgery, ear, nose, and throat medicine, and interventional radiology. With its innovative developments, CAS innovations is one of the world's leading suppliers of technology for computer-assisted surgery.


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