Robotics company Medical Microinstruments (MMI) has completed a preclinical study of neurosurgical procedures using the Symani Surgical System.
The study evaluated the feasibility of MMI’s proprietary Symani Surgical System in repairing brain blood vessels in an animal model. MMI said that the study also marks the first instance of robotic-assisted microsurgery being performed in the brain.
The preclinical study was conducted by Adnan Siddiqui, CEO and chief medical officer of the Jacobs Institute in Buffalo, New York.
MMI CEO Mark Toland said: “Dr. Siddiqui’s breakthrough demonstration showed the benefits of robotic precision and control when operating on brain tissue.
“The robotic platform allowed him to perform extremely delicate maneuvers deep in the skull cavity that would not have been possible with the human hand alone.
“The success of this procedure opens the possibility of expanding Symani’s reach into neurosurgery, a field of medicine that involves the most fragile anatomy and has yet to benefit from robotic-assisted microsurgical capabilities.”
The Symani Surgical System is engineered to enhance precision and control in the anastomosis and suturing of microscopic vessels using the thinnest sutures available.
It offers advanced solutions for procedures like post-mastectomy breast cancer reconstruction, extremity reconstruction through free tissue transfer, and lymphatic system repair.
The system is said to feature a small surgical robotic wrist called NanoWrist. The tool allows surgeons to mimic the natural movements of the human hand at a micro scale.
Its motion-scaling technology can lower hand movements by up to 20 times, offering surgeons more flexibility to operate on delicate anatomical structures, said the company.
According to the US-based MMI, the Symani Surgical System has been used in more than 1,000 cases globally with clinical outcomes published in over two dozen publications.
The system is designed to improve patient’s quality of life, expand the capabilities of surgeons in performing complex procedures, and enable hospitals to broaden their open surgical programmes.
In April 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the De Novo Classification to the Symani Surgical System, establishing it as the sole commercially available platform in the US for reconstructive microsurgery.
The Symani system is also available commercially in Europe and in certain parts of the Asia Pacific region.
In February this year, MMI raised $110m in a Series C funding round led by Fidelity Management & Research.
