True Digital Surgery

True Digital Surgery (TDS) develops and manufactures robotic-assisted 3D digital visualization platforms for microsurgery. The company’s history began in 2003, evolving into TrueVision® Systems in 2007 with a focus on digital microscopy. This predecessor company was so successful in ophthalmology that it was acquired, leading to a spinout that became True Digital Surgery in early 2019. Headquartered in Goleta, California, TDS was fully acquired by medical technology company B. Braun SE on September 12, 2025, after B. Braun had held a minority stake. TDS now operates as a technology hub within B. Braun's surgical division, Aesculap.

The company is led by Chairman and CEO Aidan Foley, who was an early investor in the predecessor company, TrueVision Systems, and was appointed CEO of TDS in April 2019. Foley has extensive executive experience in the technology and MedTech sectors, including roles at Eastman Kodak's Digital Motion Imaging Division and as Founder/CEO of the corporate development firm AF Double Eagle.

TDS’s core business revolves around developing integrated hardware and software solutions that replace traditional analog surgical microscopes with 'heads-up' 3D digital platforms, often called exoscopes. Its main product is the technology powering the Aesculap Aeos® Robotic Digital Microscope, which is marketed globally through its partner Aesculap. This system features a multi-axis robotic arm, 4K 3D displays, and advanced software for enhanced visualization. Key features include augmented reality, customizable image modes for tissue differentiation, and voice commands. The platform is designed to improve surgical precision and ergonomics for surgeons, allowing them to operate in a more comfortable, upright position while viewing large monitors, rather than being hunched over microscope oculars. This addresses the high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders reported among surgeons. The technology serves the high-end microsurgery market, primarily in neurosurgery, spinal surgery, and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) procedures.

Keywords: digital microscopy, surgical robotics, 3D surgical visualization, exoscope, medical technology, microsurgery, neurosurgery, spinal surgery, surgical imaging, robotic-assisted surgery, MedTech, heads-up surgery, surgical ergonomics, medical devices, augmented reality surgery, image-guided surgery, Aesculap Aeos, surgical navigation, digital health, operating room technology