Levita Magnetics, a medical device start up company based in San Mateo, California, recently debuted a device that they tout as the first magnetic surgical platform to receive CE Mark and FDA clearance.
The LevitaMagnetic Surgical System is currently indicated for gallbladder surgeries. Because the system allows the surgeon to magnetically retract and remove the gallbladder, they are able to to perform cholecystectomies without making an incision in the abdominal wall.
(Image credit: Levita Magnetics)
The underlying approach of the LevitaMagnetic is so unique, the FDA needed to create a new category when providing clearance to the system.
In a press release, Dr. Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, Levita Magnetics’ founder and chief executive officer, notes his own experience in the OR helped drive the push into this new technological realm.
“We are proud to be the pioneers of magnetic surgery. Having been a minimally invasive surgeon for over 10 years, I understand the complexity my peers face when trying to gain proper access to organs. Our goal at Levita is to equip surgeons with the technology they need to make surgery easier and less invasive, while enabling improved patient outcomes,” he says.
