Montpellier/Gent, France – July 4th, 2024 - AcuSurgical, a surgical robotics company developing the world’s first bi-manual/dual-instrument robot for eye surgery, today announced the successful completion of its first clinical study with the Luca™ surgical robot for vitrectomy procedures.
More than 300 million patients worldwide suffer from retinal disease, a debilitating condition that includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and macular holes. Retinal surgery requires micrometer accuracy which can only be performed by highly trained surgeons who can achieve at most 100 micron precision.
AcuSurgical develops a robotic system that provides precision up to 10 microns. The Luca™ system will allow surgeons to treat more patients, address a wider range of pathologies, expedite training, and increase accuracy and safety. It is composed of 2 arms with an instrument holder at each end that are piloted by the surgeon via a console.
The clinical study was conducted at Gent University Hospital in Belgium by Dr. Fanny Nerinckx, a senior vitreo-retinal surgeon. Seven patients were treated using the Luca™ system and all surgeries were successful.
Dr. Nerinckx noted, “The Luca robot seamlessly integrated into our operating room workflow. We performed multiple surgeries in one day, efficiently executing core vitrectomy procedures in this first human clinical trial. ”
Christoph Spuhler, CEO of AcuSurgical, stated, “Completing this first-in-human clinical study is a major milestone in making retinal surgery accessible to more surgeons and patients, and achieving it three years only after the initial proof of concept is a testimony of our team’s dynamism and expertise. We are excited about the path forward and how our technology will transform retinal surgery in the upcoming years.”
This successful clinical study marks a significant advancement for AcuSurgical in enhancing retinal surgery through innovative technology.
About AcuSurgical : Founded in 2020, AcuSurgical is a surgical robotics company based in Montpellier (France). AcuSurgical's mission is to enable top-class treatment to the 300+ million patients suffering from retinal disease worldwide. Retinal disease has a huge impact on the quality of life of mostly elderly patients, with 1 in 3 europeans over 70 affected by these debilitating conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and macular holes. Worldwide, currently 1.6 million retinal surgeries are performed each year, with a yearly growth rate of 7%. This currently represents only a small percentage of actual cases, with the majority of patients, especially in emerging economies, getting inadequate treatment or often no treatment at all. The cutting-edge robotics platform from AcuSurgical aims to change this, bringing a new surgical paradigm to vitreoretinal surgery based on precision robotics.
www.acusurgical.com
