FDA clears Medtronic’s LigaSure RAS Maryland jaw for use on Hugo robotic system in U.S.

Medtronic announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the LigaSure RAS Maryland jaw device for use with the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system. The clearance lets U.S. surgeons use Medtronic's vessel-sealing instrument inside Hugo robotic procedures.

Surgeons using robotics often want the same energy instruments they rely on in open and laparoscopic cases. The LigaSure RAS Maryland instruments bring Medtronic's established vessel-sealing technology into the Hugo robotic workflow. That can simplify instrument selection for surgical teams already accustomed to LigaSure performance and protocols.

Valleylab FT10 energy platform on Hugo. According to Medtronic, the instrument seals and divides vessels, thick tissue, and lymphatics up to and including 7 mm in diameter. The device is intended to seal vessels in about 2 seconds and to minimize thermal spread to surrounding tissue.

Device background and prior availability

Medtronic describes this as the first robotic-driven LigaSure instrument and says the underlying vessel-sealing technology has been used in more than 45 million procedures across 65+ countries over the last two decades. The LigaSure RAS Maryland was introduced on Hugo in Europe in 2025 after receiving CE Mark clearance.

The Hugo RAS system is cleared in the U.S. for urologic surgical procedures and is already in commercial use at multiple leading U.S. health systems and hospitals. Medtronic is pursuing expanded U.S. indications for Hugo to include a broader range of soft-tissue procedures such as general and gynecologic surgery.

How Medtronic positions this change

Practical implications for hospitals and surgeons

Hospitals that have Hugo in place can add a vessel-sealing capability that matches workflows and performance surgeons may already use with LigaSure in non-robotic settings. The instrument's compatibility with the Valleylab FT10 energy platform means institutions using that platform can integrate the new tool within existing energy management setups.

What Medtronic says about scale and reach

Medtronic reports that outside the U.S., Hugo has been used across more than 35 countries and in over 50 different surgical procedures spanning urology, general surgery, and gynecology. The company connects this FDA clearance to its broader effort to offer consistent instrument options across open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted modalities.

Medtronic released the announcement through PR channels and lists company contacts for public relations and investor relations. Additional product details and resources are available through Medtronic's product pages and corporate communications.