Advanced Osteotomy Tools

About Advanced Osteotomy Tools

Advanced Osteotomy Tools (AOT) is a Swiss medical device company that has developed the world's first robot-guided laser osteotome for contact-free bone surgery. The company was founded in Basel, Switzerland, in 2010 by Dr. Alfredo E. Bruno, a laser specialist, Prof. Philippe Cattin, a bio-informatics expert, and cranio-maxillofacial surgeons Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Jürgens and Prof. Dres. h.c. Hans-Florian Zeilhofer. The founders combined their expertise in laser physics, medical image analysis, robotics, and bone surgery to pioneer a new approach to osteotomy.

AOT's flagship product is CARLO®, which stands for Cold Ablation Robot-guided Laser Osteotome. This surgical platform utilizes a specialized cold laser mounted on a tactile robotic arm to cut bone with high precision, based on a pre-planned digital workflow. The technology works by vaporizing the water within the bone substrate in milliseconds, allowing the bone to be removed in precise layers without contact or heat damage to the surrounding tissue, which promotes faster healing. This method avoids issues associated with traditional saws and drills, such as microstructural damage and carbonization. Surgeons can perform cuts with complex, patient-specific geometries that are not possible with conventional instruments. The system integrates a 3D navigation and control software, giving the surgeon full control while the robot performs the osteotomy autonomously. For safety, the laser can be stopped instantly if the patient moves.

The company targets the healthcare sector, specifically hospitals and surgical centers specializing in orthopedic, neuro, spine, and cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) surgery. The business model revolves around the sale of the CARLO® system and its associated software applications. After a successful first-in-man clinical study that began in July 2019, CARLO® received CE certification for applications in CMF surgery, marking its entry into the European market. The company is also pursuing FDA approval for the U.S. market. AOT is also developing artificial intelligence capabilities to analyze tissue in real-time to differentiate between healthy and tumorous bone.