
The company took part in a landmark, multi-institution award from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) program. It sought to advance Autonomy at a Less Invasive Scale in Surgery (ALISS) and enable fully autonomous surgical procedures.
Nashville, Tennessee–based Virtuoso — included on our 2024 list of surgical robotic companies you need to know — said the award provides up to $12 million in funding. Robert J. Webster, the company’s co-founder and president, leads the program. It brings together experts in surgical robotics and AI from Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins University, University of Tennessee (Knoxville) and University of Utah.
The award supports the placement of the Virtuoso Surgical system at three participating research sites. All AI and machine learning development takes place in the program using the platform.
“Fully autonomous surgical robots will transform medicine,” Webster said in a news release. “Not only will they make routine procedures safer and more affordable, but they will also address the worldwide shortage of surgeons and expand global access to lifesaving surgeries.”
More about the project involving Virtuoso Surgical
Virtuoso — founded by Dr. Duke Herrell, who serves as CEO — believes its system serves as an ideal platform for the development of autonomous surgery facilitated by artificial intelligence, machine-learning and computer vision.
The company designed its system with two robotically controlled, needle-sized manipulators working from the tip of a rigid endoscope. That endoscope comes in at less than half the diameter of a U.S. dime. The scope is smaller than current endoscope hardware, the company says, and the manipulators are 1mm in diameter. It also features a camera, tissue grasper, retractor, tissue snare, laser aiming manipulator and electrosurgical tools.
By initially having human surgeons teleoperate the system, the robot can “shadow” the human’s decision-making. This allows it to learn more generalized skills.
Within the next three years, the research team expects to demonstrate a robotic surgical device capable of removing tumors from the trachea and prostate without the direct intervention of a surgeon. Initially, it projects simulated conditions not using live patients. The team also expects future applications for the research, including in uterine fibroids, bladder tumors, spine procedures and brain cysts, among others.
“Creating a system that can learn from human surgeons — and continue to improve performance — will be a game-changer,” Herrell said. “Our vision is not to replace surgeons, but to vastly expand the work they do to improve patients’ lives and long-term health outcomes.”