Intuitive Facing Antitrust Trial on Da Vinci, Instrument Repairs

Intuitive Surgical Inc. is headed for a federal antitrust trial in Panama City, Fla., over its alleged scheme to corner the service and repair markets for its industry-leading da Vinci surgical robot and the EndoWrist, a key instrument used with it.

U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II denied the company’s motion for summary judgment, saying a jury should resolve allegations that Intuitive leveraged its near-monopoly in the surgical robot sector to gain a dominant share of the relevant aftermarkets.

There’s enough evidence to potentially persuade jurors that “Intuitive effectively forces customers into using its da Vinci repair services” by ...