I have no information that the general public wouldn't and this is all IMHO. I've been a medical device rep for over a decade. In this time I've seen many products go through the long and difficult 510K process.
I can tell you if a large device company is confident in the technology and that it will be a game changer they'll do one of two things and nothing will stop them from doing so.
1) Purchase the company outright before 510K hoping to swoop it up before others can elevate the price. (This may happen, but I hope Titan knows what they have and the value. At least get a bidding war going if they sell out early!) It's also a great risk for the purchasing company if there are major delays or 510K issues.
2) More likely would be to form a partnership with Titan before 510K approval. Any company doing this would have a first right of refusal in the partnership contract. This would allow them to match any offer down the road to purchase Titan. It also gives them an easy/cheap way out if for some reason Titan fails to deliver. Another major advantage is it gives them time before 510K approval to integrate their technology onto Titans Sport system. So Covidien, Ethicon or Stryker could have their end effectors on Sport close to launch. The longer any of these companies wait, the longer it would take for 510K of their technology to be put on Sport.
Or Titan keeps going it alone, which could be life changing for us longs or could take another 5 years.
I'm personally hoping for a partnership. This would give Titan access to large sums of capital, additional resources and value added end effectors that Titan (or Intuitive) doesn't have access to. Every one of the above mentioned companies has put 100's of products through the 510K process. It also keeps all of us longs happy because Titans value keeps growing each day until someone pulls the plug to purchase them.
Again, all IMHO, but I'm with all of you Long and Strong!