Monday, October 26, 2026 · Daily editionET --:--:--

MedicalKeyhole surgery robot

Senhance Surgical System

by Asensus Surgical (formerly TransEnterix), owned by Karl Storz

Senhance is a robot for keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery that moves the instruments while the surgeon controls it. Its makers aimed to keep the time and cost of each operation close to ordinary keyhole surgery. The Robot Report, 22 Aug 2024

Being phased outKarl Storz said in June 2026 it would begin an orderly end of service for Senhance. The stage below shows how far it got.

5

Stage 5 of 5

Regulator-cleared or mass market

Which rule placed it
Evidence
Company-reported only
Human help
None reported
Last milestone
17 June 2026

01Can I get it?

Yes, in places

Where it works today
Being phased out: in June 2026 Karl Storz said it would begin an orderly end of service for Senhance. MassDevice, 17 June 2026
Published price
No published price in our sources.
Human help
A surgeon controls the robot arms from a console during the operation.

02Track record

What has actually happened

Every milestone is dated and links to the page it comes from. Lines marked company-reported rest on the maker's own word.

  1. Setback

    Karl Storz said it would start an orderly end of service for Senhance, stop work on the LUNA robot and retire the Asensus brand.

    MassDevice, 17 June 2026Company-reported

  2. Setback

    A North Carolina layoff notice showed about 108 Asensus jobs being cut, with the layoffs taking effect on 1 March 2027.

    MassDevice, 17 June 2026 (North Carolina WARN notice)

  3. Funding

    German endoscope maker Karl Storz completed its purchase of Asensus for 35 cents a share in cash.

    The Robot Report, 22 Aug 2024

  4. Setback

    Asensus recalled Senhance because faults could make the robot move on its own. The FDA called it a Class I recall, the most serious kind. Five US devices were affected and no patient harm was reported.

    FDA recall notice, 2023

  5. Unveiled

    Asensus showed LUNA, a planned next surgical system. It was still in development and had not been sent to the FDA.

    The Robot Report, 22 Aug 2024Company-reported

  6. Cleared · sets the stage

    The FDA cleared the Senhance robot through the 510(k) route. It already had a CE mark for sale in Europe.

    TransEnterix press release (SEC filing), 13 Oct 2017Company-reported

03Safety and incidents

What has gone wrong

  • FDA Class I recall: malfunctions could cause unintended robot movement. Five US devices affected; no patient harm reported. FDA recall notice, 2023

How we placed it

The rule, not an opinion

Stages are worked out by published rules from the dated milestones above. We never rate robots, and no maker can pay to change a stage.

  1. 5

    Regulator-cleared or mass marketThis robot

    A regulator has cleared it where approval applies: FDA clearance or approval for a medical robot, a permit to run with no one aboard for a self-driving vehicle, or an FAA approval for routine drone flights. Or: Widely sold: sales in the hundreds of thousands, or a product category you can buy in ordinary shops.

    Placed by: The FDA cleared the Senhance robot through the 510(k) route. It already had a CE mark for sale in Europe (13 Oct 2017).

  2. 4

    Paying customers

    Delivered to customers who pay for it, beyond a trial, or a paid service the public can use.

  3. 3

    Pilot

    Working with a named customer in a real setting, as a trial.

  4. 2

    Pre-orders

    Orders, reservations or deposits taken, with nothing delivered yet.

  5. 1

    Demo only

    Shown in videos, staged events or a factory, with no units working for customers.

What we couldn't confirm. Discontinued: Karl Storz announced an orderly end of service for Senhance in June 2026. No count of Senhance systems in use was found.

Sources

  1. 01The Robot Report, 22 Aug 2024
  2. 02MassDevice, 17 June 2026
  3. 03FDA recall notice, 2023
  4. 04TransEnterix press release (SEC filing), 13 Oct 2017

Cite this page

Robotics Verdict. “Senhance Surgical System (Asensus Surgical (formerly TransEnterix), owned by Karl Storz): how far has it got?” roboticsverdict.com/robots/senhance. Checked 19 October 2026.

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