Anybody out there?
I just attended the annual RBOT shareholders meeting. All very positive. Major points:
- AESOP has been in 60,000+ procedures, exc reliability, image among surgeons.
- Hermes ramping, should see its impact esp in Q4. New alliances being developed due to technology working well and catching on. Demo showed efficacy of voice control - seamless, less people req'd in OR, shorter procedures (OR time can be $30+/minute).
- ZEUS USA development proceeding well - 10 stage 1 patient trials completed, should know in ~10 days from FDA re stage 2.
- More big name hospitals getting Zeus - Mass Gen, Duke U, ... Numerous surgeons being trained, programs at all site hospitals progressing.
- ZEUS app'd in Europe, 7 sites currently being trained, developing protocols. MDT assisting there (They have Euro dist agreement).
- New ZEUS instruments show articulation ("wrist") right at instrument tip inside patient. I believe this used to be one of Intuitive's former advantages over ZEUS.
- Intuitive design very large, obtrusive, doesn't allow asst surgeons to participate at the patient as ZEUS does. Intuitive generally believed to be behind.
- Expect profitability end of CY2000. Steady yr-yr rev increases expected to continue.
- Cardio stocks generally down due to inflated, unrealized values of a few (Heartport?). Back to "show me", though with RBOT's revenue record that is happening well.
All in all it seemed like excellent progress on all fronts. RBOT is a screaming buy at this price. Back up the truck.
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