Virtual Incision has announced the completion of the first surgery with its miniaturised in vivo robotic assistant (MIRA) surgical platform.
The surgery was conducted as part of a clinical trial under an investigational device exemption (IDE) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The world’s first surgery using the MIRA surgical platform was performed by Dr Michael Jobst at Bryan Medical Centre in Lincoln, Nebraska, US.
Through a single incision within the navel, the robotically assisted right hemicolectomy procedure has been completed using the MIRA surgical platform.
In October last year, the company secured IDE approval from the FDA to begin the study of MIRA platform.
Virtual Incision will carry out the trial at a limited number of US hospitals, which will help to secure regulatory approval for the system.
In a statement, Jobst said: “The MIRA platform is a true breakthrough platform for general surgery, and it is extremely gratifying to be the first surgeon in the world to use the system.”
The MIRA surgical platform is a portable robot, which enables surgeons to conduct real-time minimally invasive single incision surgeries, thereby avoiding to accommodate dedicated space or infrastructure generally required for mainframe robotic systems.
Virtual Incision’s surgical robotic platform consists of a small and self-contained surgical device, which is inserted through a single midline umbilical incision in the patient’s abdomen.
The miniature platform, which weighs only two pounds, is developed to facilitate complex and multi-quadrant abdominal surgeries using a simple handheld device.
With full robotic capabilities, the surgical platform can be moved from room to room.
Virtual Incision CEO John Murphy said: This first procedure is an incredible milestone that further advances our goal to expand access to the benefits of minimally invasive robotic procedures to patients to virtually any US healthcare provider, regardless of the distance from an urban center.
“We look forward to expanding our clinical trial to additional sites and states in the coming months.”
At present, the firm is focused on extending access to minimally invasive colorectal and lower gastrointestinal procedures, which are the rapidly growing operational areas for patients in the US.
In addition, the company has commenced the development of procedure-specific mini-robots for additional operations. The firm has more than 200 patents and applications.