RAYNHAM – Medical robotics company Medrobotics Corp. announced the appointment on Jan. 2 of Thomas F. Patzelt as the company’s vice president of marketing.
The appointment coincides with Medrobotics’ anticipated commercial launches in Europe and the United States of the Flex Robotic System, an “Ear, Nose and Throat” or “ENT” medical device designed to provide minimally invasive access and visualization for surgery in hard-to-reach locations in the throat and voice box.
Minimally invasive surgery procedures, like that enabled by Medrobotics’ robotic-assist platform, are more cost-effective and lead to quicker hospital discharge and faster patient recovery, Medrobotics said.
“We are delighted to have Tom join our growing company,” said Samuel Straface, president and CEO of Medrobotics. “He brings [more than] 22 years experience in building and defending high growth markets for new technologies, including ENT devices.”
In his new role, Patzelt will prepare for the upcoming commercialization of the Flex Robotic System, which received ISO certification for distribution in November.
Prior to joining Medrobotics, Patzelt serve as vice president of marketing for Entellus Medical, a medical device startup in Plymouth, Minn., that develops and distributes chronic sinusitis treatments to ENT surgeons.
Patzelt had previously held executive sales and marketing positions at Medtronic and Merck & Co. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
“I am thrilled to join the exceptional team at Medrobotics,” said Patzelt. “Driving adoption of transformational medical technology has been the focus of my career, and I am excited to continue that work with such an innovative and valuable platform as the Flex Robotic System.”
