VisioSurgical Solutions (VSS), a Swiss medical robotics company, announced its launch October 29 and plans to develop a compact robot for retinal surgery that would work with surgeons’ existing microscopes and intraoperative imaging systems.

The Lausanne-based company selected Kaleidoscope Innovation, a medical device design and engineering firm in Cincinnati, to develop the platform under the direction of founder and chief executive Marc de Smet, MD, PhD.

According to the company, the system is being designed to achieve precision of less than 10 μm, with tremor filtering, motion scaling, and force limits intended to protect retinal tissue. Surgeons would retain control throughout procedures. The compact robotic head is intended for use without a dedicated operating room.

Dr. de Smet previously cofounded Preceyes, whose system performed the first robot-assisted retinal surgery in a human. Carl Zeiss Meditec acquired Preceyes in 2022. VSS’s other cofounders are Patricia Zilliox, PhD, and Bryan Robb, MBA.

Initial applications are expected to include retinal surgery and delivery of gene and cell therapies. Development plans include a prototype and a study in Lausanne evaluating retinal surgery without vitrectomy.

The company is raising seed funding for initial development. The system remains in development and is not available for sale. RP