CORI

[commercial]

surgical · food-service · 1 deployments in catalog

Field Advisory

Corporate / lineage (verified): Smith+Nephew plc (LSE: SN; NYSE: SNN; UK). Acquired Blue Belt Technologies on Oct 29 2015 for $275M (closed Jan 2016); Blue Belt's flagship was the NAVIO handheld system (CT-free navigation + handheld robotic bone-shaping for partial knee). NAVIO evolved into CORI, launched Jul 14 2020 (with the 'Real Intelligence' platform). Lineage: Blue Belt/NAVIO (2015) -> CORI (2020)., AI-as-primary boundary (the cohort's editorial point): AI-AUGMENTED, SURGEON-CONTROLLED HANDHELD assistance - NOT autonomous. Software does imageless 3D mapping, plan generation, and intra-op tracking that robotically governs the bur's speed/exposure to keep cutting within the surgeon-defined plan; the surgeon physically holds and moves the tool throughout. In-scope as a surgical robot., Cleared scope + the hip honesty point (cap-flag): Robotic cutting is cleared for total + partial + revision knee (revision-knee a 2022 first-to-market). HIP is NAVIGATION-ONLY (RI.HIP NAVIGATION, 2022) - computer-guided, NOT robotic burring; several secondary sources blur this, so do NOT frame CORI hip as robotic. Exact 510(k) K-numbers + the initial 2020 clearance date were not pinned to the FDA database this pass (indications verified at press-release level). No CORI-specific installed-base/procedure-volume figure verified against S+N IR; the '60% knee / 34% hip' stat circulating is a Stryker/Mako figure, NOT CORI., Sub-cohort triangle (orthopedic, within surgical): Handheld-format, imageless, smaller-footprint commercial archetype (ASC/outpatient OR integration) - the technical counterpoint to Mako's large CT-based robotic arm. Orthopedic triangle: Mako (large-footprint, CT-based, broad scope) vs CORI (handheld, imageless, knee) vs Zimmer Biomet ROSA (mid-size, knee/hip/brain).

Manufacturer

Smith+Nephew

Form Factor

surgical

Lifecycle

commercial

Operational Reality

Audited

Deployments

1

Target Price

$600K to $1.2M (analyst estimate)

  • SURGICAL
  • COMMERCIAL
  • RESEARCH

Description

The CORI Surgical System is Smith+Nephew's compact, surgeon-controlled handheld robotics platform for orthopedic knee surgery, recorded in the surgical form factor as the handheld, imageless, smaller-footprint archetype of the orthopedic sub-cohort. Unlike Stryker's Mako, which uses a pre-operative CT scan and a large robotic arm, CORI is imageless: the surgeon paints the joint surface intra-operatively to build a three-dimensional bone model, then uses a handheld robotic bur whose cutting speed and exposure are robotically controlled to the surgical plan, with optical navigation via a passive infrared camera that Smith+Nephew states is four times faster with twice the cutting volume of the prior NAVIO system. Because the surgeon physically holds and moves the tool throughout while the software does the imageless mapping, planning, and intra-operative tracking that governs the bur, CORI is AI-augmented surgeon-controlled assistance and not autonomous, and it is in scope as a surgical robot. Made by Smith+Nephew, listed as SN in London and SNN in New York, the system descends from Smith+Nephew's October 2015 acquisition of Blue Belt Technologies for 275 million dollars, whose NAVIO handheld system evolved into CORI at its July 14, 2020 launch alongside the Real Intelligence platform. Its robotic-cutting scope is cleared for total, partial or unicompartmental, and revision knee, with revision knee a 2022 first-to-market indication on a robotics platform; its hip capability is navigation only, through RI.HIP NAVIGATION cleared in January 2022, and is not robotic burring, a distinction several secondary sources blur. The platform is positioned for ambulatory surgery centers and outpatient operating rooms, and no CORI-specific installed-base or procedure-volume figure is asserted here because none was verified against Smith+Nephew investor disclosure.

Key facts & specs

18 entries
website
https://www.smith-nephew.com/en/news/2015/10/29/20151029-acquisition-of-blue-belt-technologies
maturity
commercial
lifecycle
active
manufacturer
Smith+Nephew
deployments count
1
Maturity stage
commercial
Specs
CORI Surgical System: compact, surgeon-controlled HANDHELD robotics platform for orthopedic knee surgery. IMAGELESS (no pre-op CT or MRI): the surgeon paints the joint surface intra-operatively to build a 3D bone model, then uses a handheld robotic BUR whose cutting speed/exposure is robotically controlled to the surgical plan, with optical navigation via a passive infrared camera (Smith+Nephew states 4x faster camera + 2x cutting volume vs the NAVIO predecessor). Small-footprint / portable, positioned for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and outpatient ORs. Cleared knee scope: total + partial/unicompartmental + revision knee. Hip is NAVIGATION-ONLY (RI.HIP NAVIGATION, cleared Jan 2022), NOT robotic burring. Made by Smith+Nephew (LSE: SN; NYSE: SNN).
Form Factor
surgical (HANDHELD robotics-assisted orthopedic knee surgery; surgeon-controlled + AI-augmented, NOT autonomous; imageless / no pre-op CT)
Visualization
optical navigation via a passive infrared camera
Procedure types
total, partial or unicompartmental, and revision knee
Autonomy level
AI-augmented, surgeon-controlled, not autonomous
Imaging
Imageless (no pre-op CT or MRI)
Cleared knee scope
Total, partial/unicompartmental, and revision knee
Hip capability
Navigation only (RI.HIP NAVIGATION, cleared Jan 2022), not robotic burring
Camera speed
4x faster than NAVIO predecessor
Cutting volume
2x cutting volume vs NAVIO predecessor
Launch date
July 14, 2020
Acquisition
Blue Belt Technologies acquired Oct 29, 2015 for $275M

Availability and pricing

price
$600K to $1.2M (analyst estimate) · as of 2025-01-01
lead time
Not disclosed
sales model
Not disclosed
availability
Not sold (internal use)
units in field
Not disclosed
pricing Model
Not disclosed

Safety record

Safety Status
Zero incidents on record

No incidents on record for CORI.

Risk Metrics
Incidents: 0
Recalls: 0

FAQ

14 entries
What is CORI?

The CORI Surgical System is Smith+Nephew's compact, surgeon-controlled handheld robotics platform for orthopedic knee surgery, recorded in the surgical form factor as the handheld, imageless, smaller-footprint archetype of the orthopedic sub-cohort. Unlike Stryker's Mako, which uses a pre-operative CT scan and a large robotic arm, CORI is imageless: the surgeon paints the joint surface intra-operatively to build a three-dimensional bone model, then uses a handheld robotic bur whose cutting speed and exposure are robotically controlled to the surgical plan, with optical navigation via a passive infrared camera that Smith+Nephew states is four times faster with twice the cutting volume of the prior NAVIO system. Because the surgeon physically holds and moves the tool throughout while the software does the imageless mapping, planning, and intra-operative tracking that governs the bur, CORI is AI-augmented surgeon-controlled assistance and not autonomous, and it is in scope as a surgical robot. Made by Smith+Nephew, listed as SN in London and SNN in New York, the system descends from Smith+Nephew's October 2015 acquisition of Blue Belt Technologies for 275 million dollars, whose NAVIO handheld system evolved into CORI at its July 14, 2020 launch alongside the Real Intelligence platform. Its robotic-cutting scope is cleared for total, partial or unicompartmental, and revision knee, with revision knee a 2022 first-to-market indication on a robotics platform; its hip capability is navigation only, through RI.HIP NAVIGATION cleared in January 2022, and is not robotic burring, a distinction several secondary sources blur. The platform is positioned for ambulatory surgery centers and outpatient operating rooms, and no CORI-specific installed-base or procedure-volume figure is asserted here because none was verified against Smith+Nephew investor disclosure.

How much does CORI cost?

CORI is listed at $600,000 to $1,200,000 on the DEPLOY registry. This is an analyst estimate, not an official price.

Is CORI actually deployed in the real world?

Yes. CORI is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.

Is CORI autonomous or teleoperated?

Not verified as fully autonomous. CORI's capabilities on the DEPLOY registry are recorded as teleoperated-assisted, demonstrated-only, or vendor claims (Assists surgery), not independently confirmed to run without a human in the loop.

Who makes CORI?

CORI is made by Smith+Nephew, based in Watford, England, UK, founded in 1856.

Where is CORI deployed?

1 verified deployment of CORI is on the DEPLOY registry, including at United States.

Can you buy CORI?

CORI is in commercial deployment and is sold to operators; contact the manufacturer to buy, and see the pricing section for any recorded price.

Is CORI FDA cleared?

CORI has 1 regulatory record on the DEPLOY registry: FDA 510(k) clearance, cleared. See the Regulatory filings section for each agency source.

What are alternatives to CORI?

On the DEPLOY registry, comparable surgical robots to CORI include da Vinci (and Ion), Edge Multi-Port Surgical Robot, Edison Histotripsy System, Stryker Mako SmartRobotics.

How does CORI compare to da Vinci (and Ion)?

CORI and da Vinci (and Ion) (Intuitive Surgical · 15 deployments) are both surgical robots on the DEPLOY registry. CORI has 1 verified deployment on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.

Is CORI a top surgical?

On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, CORI ranks in roughly the top 57% of surgical models tracked by the registry.

What is CORI's maturity stage?

CORI is at the commercial stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Commercial stage means production-grade deployments are operating at named customer sites.

Is CORI safe?

CORI has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.

What is the Smith Nephew CORI surgical robot?

The Smith Nephew CORI Surgical System is a handheld robotic platform for orthopedic surgery, designed for accuracy in bone resection and alignment. It is the first system indicated for robotic-assisted revision knee surgery. The CORI XT is the next-generation platform for all orthopedic needs from partial to revision knee, hip, and shoulder.

Deployments

1 entry

Sectors & applications

1 entry