FAQ

the company is named after its founder, Carlo Baitella (1915-2006).

Carlo Baitella found this italian word that perfectly defines the stable fixation of the articulated arm.

FISSO =  solid, rigid, immovable

The company is based in Zürich-Oerlikon, Switzerland.

All facilities as offices, production, assembly and stock are located in Zürich-Oerlikon, Switzerland.

In addition to our facilities, we are partnered with Novid Surgical, our exclusive distributor for FISSO Medical products in the United States

Since 1972 we have been focusing on creating and manufacturing the best articulated arm in the market.

Our Swiss quality policy, the permanent customer orientation and the experience in development and production of articulated arms have created a high-quality and broad product portfolio which distinguishes us from the competition.

Yes, the company is certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 since 1997

An articulated arm is a mechanical  construction consisting in three joints connected by two bars and one knob handle. Tightening or loosing the knob handle allows the simultaneous clamping / releasing of all three joints.

Other terms for articulated arm are swivel arm or multilink arm

An articulated arm can be used wherever something needs to be held and adjusted quickly and easily. Below are some areas where Fisso products are used:

• in the industrial field as holder for dial gauges,
• in medical fields, for holder of endoscopes, as instrument holder, as holder for anesthesic / repiratory tubes, as patient arm positioners and many others OEM applications.
• in optical field as holder for lasers, cameras, microscopes, sensors or lights
• in the photo-Studio  as holder for objects in the stilllife-Photography

The holding power of an articulated depends of the size and lenght of the arm. FISSO has articulated arms that can hold over 10 kilograms of weight.

We are happy to help with your inquiry

FISSO articulated arms have used the mechanical clamping technique since it was invented by Carlo Baitella in 1972. They have been continuously developed and refined over years.

The mechanical  technology is very quick to clamp, maintenance-free and has a long service life. Furthermore, it does not require electricity (electric) and cannot leak (hydraulic).

Yes, our FISSO products are ROHS and REACH compliant

Sterilizable Products

• For applications subjected to steam sterilization up to 134 ° C
• Typical applications: Endoscope or instrument holder for surgery

Non Sterilizable Products

• For applications subject to a surface wipe cleaning / disinfection
• Typical applications: Patient arm positioning, anesthetic / breathing tubes, monitoring monitors

Due to liability issues we are not allowed to sell medical components for medical uses to a final customer

No since they are not engineered for medical applications

• They can get rusty by the desinfection
• They don’t acomplish the MDR / FDA policy

The main difference are:

• Strato line is made in  high quality light alloy whereas Classic line is made in chromed-plated steel.
• Classic Line has a broader portfolio, including models with a large action radius and high holding power.
• Strato Line can be manufactured in every colour (option only available for a minimum quantity per year).

The Strato μ Line has been specialy enginered for measuring in applications requiring extremly high precision.

The precision fine adjustment (P) (approx. 0.1 mmstroke per revolution related to the mounting hole) with excellent ease of setting and high repetitive accuracy makes the unit exceptionally well suited for measurements in the µ region.

Yes, it is possible.

We recommend medical arms for industrial application where a high corrosion protection is needed or where stainless-steel/Inox is mandatory (i.e. Cleanrooms).

Yes, FISSO articulated arms (manufactured by Baitella AG) are frequently cited in peer-reviewed papers hosted on ResearchGate. Researchers heavily rely on them across diverse fields including robotic surgery, neuroscience, and medical imaging due to their ultra-stable central locking mechanisms.

The following specific research articles on ResearchGate explicitly cite the use of Swiss-made FISSO articulated arms:

1. Robotic Surgery & Otolaryngology

• Article: Quantitative in-vitro assessment of a novel robot-assisted system for cochlear implant electrode insertion
• Application: Researchers utilized a FISSO articulated arm (Baitella AG, Zürich, Switzerland) to securely position an automated robotic aligner. This enabled high-precision, robot-assisted cochlear implant insertions by expert surgeons. [ Source researchgate]

2. Neuroscience & Brain Circuit Mapping

• Article: Decoding Motor Excitability in TMS using EEG-Features: An Exploratory Machine Learning Approach
• Application: The placement of a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) coil was guided and held perfectly rigid by a mechanical FISSO arm (Baitella, Zürich, Switzerland). This stabilization was paired with stereoscopic neuronavigation to monitor real-time positioning over the patient’s scalp. [Source researchgate]

3. Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Manipulators

• Article: Compact forceps manipulator with a spherical-coordinate linear and circular telescopic rail mechanism for endoscopic surgery
• Application: The paper details a compact forceps surgical manipulator. The end of its circular telescopic rail mechanism was rigidly anchored to a fixed FISSO arm (Baitella AG, Zurich, Switzerland) to stabilize the system’s surgical insertion/extraction axis. [Source researchgate]

4. Advanced Medical Imaging (Ultrasound)

• Article: Mixed reality ultrasound guidance system: a case study in system development and a cautionary tale
• Application: An electromagnetic tracking transmitter was physically attached to a linear ultrasound scanner using a FISSO articulated arm (Fisso, Swiss) to smoothly facilitate precise positioning over a surgical field. [Source researchgate]

5. Dentistry & Implantology Testing

• Article: An In Vitro Evaluation of Periotest Implant Stability Measurements Taken on Implant Retained Crowns and Healing Abutments
• Application: This specific methodology dataset highlights the use of a FISSO Strato Line Model S-20 arm paired with an aluminum quick clamp. It was used to immobilize a Periotest dental handpiece to record repeatable implant stability measurements following surgery. [Source researchgate]