Local Waterloo alumni have developed a global medical breakthrough that significantly improves patient outcomes in total joint replacement surgeries
What do University of Waterloo researchers, students and alumni have in common? A drive for finding solutions that improve the quality of life for humanity.
Thanks to a groundbreaking innovation developed by Waterloo alumni, orthopedic surgeons no longer need to rely on guesswork when performing hip or knee surgeries — leading to better outcomes for patients around the world.
Intellijoint Surgical Inc. — a Kitchener-based medical technology company founded by Waterloo engineering graduates — is revolutionizing joint replacement surgery. Armen Bakirtzian (BASc ’08), CEO and co-founder, was inspired by stories of his father’s work as an orthopedic surgeon and saw an opportunity to improve surgical outcomes in total hip replacement and total knee arthroplasty surgeries. Alongside his co-founders Andre Hladio (BASc ’08) and Richard Fanson (BASc ’08), he turned a fourth-year engineering design project into a global medical technology success story.
Since its founding in 2010, Intellijoint has developed a computer-assisted navigation system that helps surgeons accurately position implants during hip and knee replacement procedures. The system uses a miniature optical camera to deliver real-time, precise measurements and even accounts for patient movement during surgery. This innovation not only enhances surgical accuracy but also reduces the need for costly and invasive revision surgeries. Some patients are also able to walk within 30 minutes, climb stairs in an hour and head home just two hours later.
To date, the company’s technology has been used in more than 70,000 surgeries across multiple countries. Closer to home, Intellijoint has partnered with the Waterloo Regional Health Network to bring advanced surgical care to local patients.
“We're based in Kitchener-Waterloo and having our local hospital be adopters of our technology is pretty important,” Bakirtzian says. There are lot of innovators in Canada, but many of our innovations are not adopted by our local healthcare system, so this as a partnership we’re proud of.”
The company’s close collaboration with clinicians is key to its continued innovation, allowing Intellijoint to identify new challenges and develop solutions that improve outcomes for patients, surgeons and other healthcare staff.
Armen Bakirtzian (right) and Andre Hladio (left) demonstrating how the Intellijoint HIP® works in the operating room.
“We’re a problem-solving organization. Our goal from the beginning was to create technology that integrates seamlessly into surgical workflows,” Bakirtzian says. “The more access and exposure we have to problems that clinicians are dealing with will give us more information on solutions to those problems, ultimately improving patient care.”
As a former Waterloo co-op student who had an interest in medicine and engineering, Bakirtzian explains that it was sometimes challenging finding jobs that blended his interests. To eliminate that barrier for other like-minded students, his company now hires more than 50 co-op students each year. One such person was Joseph Schipper (BASc ’15) who has been with Intellijoint for 10 years and moved his way up from co-op student to the company’s algorithms and research manager.
“We're quite proud to be an employer in the region that provides opportunity for folks and their families to have a good professional and personal life. We’re also proud of extending that same reality to students.” — Bakirtzian
Intellijoint is part of a network of more than 8,000 employers connected to Waterloo that help students develop work-ready skills and secure meaningful employment after graduation.
“I know first-hand how hard it is to get into the medical devices industry, and because there is biomedical engineering in town, everybody wants a job at a medical device company,” Bakirtzian says. “We're very fortunate to be able to provide that opportunity for many Waterloo students each term because they deliver tremendous technical solutions and are fantastic to work with.”
