Schölly Fiberoptic has designed and manufactured multiple generations of imaging systems for Intuitive. Credit: © 2019 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Robotic surgical systems developer Intuitive Surgical has acquired a robotic endoscope business from German visualisation systems maker Schölly Fiberoptic.

Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

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Founded in 1973, Schölly Fiberoptic develops visualisation systems for application in minimally invasive diagnostic and surgical procedures.

The company has designed and manufactured multiple generations of imaging products for Intuitive’s da Vinci surgical systems for over two decades.

The acquisition covers the robotic endoscope manufacturing line in Denzlingen, Germany, along with a manufacturing site in Biebertal, Germany and a repair site in Massachusetts, US.

Intuitive will absorb around 200 employees from these three Schölly Fiberoptic sites over the next 18 months.

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Intuitive Surgical senior vice-president Brian Miller said: “Schölly has been an important and valued vendor for Intuitive since the very early days of the company.

“Leading visualisation has been a core pillar of our company and we expect it to continue to be important going forward. It makes sense to bring the teams together for both organisations.”

The company also expects the transaction to boost its supply chain and manufacturing capacity for imaging products.

Schölly Fiberoptic will continue to be a vendor for Intuitive and anticipates that its remaining businesses will benefit from Intuitive’s expansion.

Schölly Fiberoptic CEO Dr Holger Reinecke said: “We have a long, successful relationship with Intuitive, and we share the common mission to advance health care by providing state-of-the-art technologies and innovative product features.

“This transaction will allow Schölly to focus more strategically on our global visualization business and ensure sustainable growth.”

Intuitive’s da Vinci surgical systems are meant to enable minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and improve overall operating room efficiency.

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