Medtronic’s Hugo Robot Gains FDA-Cleared LigaSure Vessel Sealing Instrument

Medtronic has obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the LigaSure RAS Maryland jaw device for use with its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system.

The clearance expands the instrument portfolio for the versatile Hugo robot with the company’s LigaSure vessel-sealing technology. Hugo is currently cleared in the U.S. for urologic surgical procedures, with plans to expand into soft-tissue general and gynecologic surgeries. Outside the U.S., the system is used in over 35 countries across more than 50 urology, general, and gynecologic procedures.

The LigaSure RAS Maryland instrument adds vessel-sealing capability for robotic-assisted surgery alongside Medtronic’s existing open and laparoscopic offerings.

Designed for the Valleylab FT10 energy platform and Hugo, the instrument seals and cuts vessels, thick tissue, and lymphatics up to 7 mm, with vessel sealing in about two seconds and limited thermal spread. According to the company, It’s the first robotic LigaSure instrument and builds on technology used in over 45 million procedures across 65+ countries.

The instrument launched on Hugo in Europe in 2025 following CE mark approval.

“Vessel sealing sits at the center of how surgeons work through the most demanding moments of a procedure, and surgeons have trusted LigaSure to do it across open and laparoscopic surgery for decades,” said Dr. Matthew Kroh, chief medical officer of Medtronic’s the Surgical business, and a practicing surgeon. “Bringing that same performance to the Hugo RAS system in the U.S. means surgeons carry the confidence and control they already rely on into their robotic-assisted cases.”

Earlier this month, Medtronic invested $700M in Hong-Kong-based Cornerstone Robotics. The surgical robotics company develops its Sentire surgical robotic system in-house, which Medtronic will distribute alongside Hugo in the markets where it’s approved.