Virtuoso Surgical announced successful initial human cases using its novel robotic endoscopy system for bladder lesion excision. Six patients were treated for 11 lesions during the pilot phase of the VIABLE trial at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), led by Dr. Jeremy Teoh, a leader in bladder cancer surgery.
The system features two robotically controlled, needle-sized manipulators (1mm diameter) at the tip of a rigid endoscope smaller than half a U.S. dime. It integrates tools including a camera, tissue grasper, laser aiming, and electrosurgical instruments for precision surgery.
Designed for teleoperation, the robotic system learns from surgeons’ actions, aiming to evolve toward autonomous surgery via AI, machine learning, and computer vision.
CEO Duke Herrell said,
“We’re excited to advance en-bloc bladder lesion removal with this revolutionary technology, collaborating closely with CUHK. We plan to submit an FDA IDE application to study the system in the U.S.”
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