Key Takeaways

  • VisioSurgical Solutions announced its launch and the start of development of a compact surgical robot for retinal surgery with Kaleidoscope Innovation
  • The founding team of VisioSurgical Solutions includes Marc de Smet, MD, PhD; Patricia Zilliox, PhD; and Bryan Robb, MBA
  • The system is designed to deliver precision better than 10 µm, with tremor filtering, motion scaling, and force limits that protect the retina

VisioSurgical Solutions (VSS) announced its launch and the start of development of a compact surgical robot for retinal surgery. The Swiss company has selected Kaleidoscope Innovation, a medical device design and engineering firm based in Cincinnati, to develop the robotic platform under the direction of VSS Founder and CEO Marc de Smet, MD, PhD.

Dr. de Smet is a practicing retinal and cataract surgeon who was a cofounder and chief medical officer of Preceyes, whose system performed the first robot-assisted retinal surgery in a human. The company was acquired by Carl Zeiss Meditec in 2022. Dr. de Smet built the first prototype retinal surgery robot with Eindhoven University of Technology, and serves as cochair of the Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation robotics committee. VSS Cofounder Patricia Zilliox, PhD, is the former CEO and president of Eyevensys, the former chief drug development officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Research Institute, and the former head of clinical development at Alcon. VSS Cofounder Bryan Robb, MBA, specializes in business development and corporate finance. Previously, he worked at AC Immune in Lausanne, Switzerland, and served as a biotechnology venture capital analyst in the United States.

VSS said it is developing a compact robotic head that uses the surgeon’s existing microscope and intraoperative imaging. The system is designed to deliver precision better than 10 µm, with tremor filtering, motion scaling, and force limits that protect the retina.

“Retinal surgery works at a scale where the human hand sets the limit,” Dr. de Smet said in a company news release. “Our first robot showed that a machine can operate inside the eye with a precision no hand achieves. With VSS we are making that precision compact enough for any operating room, and we are building it so that the surgeon stays in control: the robot extends the surgeon’s hands; it does not replace them.”

“Retinal surgery presents a compelling opportunity for surgical robotics, where precision, control, and consistency are paramount," added Ben Ko, CEO of Kaleidoscope Innovation. "Having previously collaborated with Dr. de Smet and Dr. Zilliox on innovative ophthalmic surgical technologies, we are excited to develop this platform with them. By combining their deep clinical expertise with Kaleidoscope’s product development capabilities across surgical and industrial robotics, we can address the unique technical challenges of retinal surgery and advance what is possible in the operating room.”

According to VisioSurgical, development will begin with the concept phase, a first prototype, and a confirmation study of the approach to retinal surgery without vitrectomy. The first applications will be retinal surgery and the precise delivery of gene and cell therapies to the retina, followed by glaucoma and cataract applications. VSS stated that it is currently raising a seed round to initiate the concept phase and the first prototype and that a later Series A will fund development of the robot through to clinical readiness.

For more information, visit https://visiosurgicalsolutions.com.