Minimally invasive surgical techniques represent an important development direction in modern medicine, and robotic-assisted technology is pushing this field to new heights. Recently, Dr. Duke Herrell, CEO of Virtuoso Surgical, announced on LinkedIn that the company's robotic endoscopy system has successfully completed its first human clinical trial. This breakthrough marks the official transition of this technology from laboratory research to clinical application, signaling an imminent technological revolution in the field of endoscopic surgery.
Company Background
Virtuoso Surgical was founded in April 2016, as a result of long-term collaborative research between Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The company was co-founded by three distinguished individuals: robotics expert Professor Robert Webster, urological surgeon Dr. Duke Herrell, and medical device industry executive Richard Hendrick. Their shared vision is to bring cutting-edge robotic technology to doctors and patients worldwide, fundamentally changing how endoscopic surgeries are performed and their outcomes.
After its establishment, the company received funding support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Virtuoso Surgical's core technology originates from research conducted at Johns Hopkins University and Vanderbilt University and is protected by multiple patents, laying a solid foundation for technological innovation.
Technological Innovation
Virtuoso's robotic surgical system features several breakthrough innovations that significantly improve upon the limitations of traditional endoscopic surgery. The most notable feature of the system is a pair of instrument delivery arms made from concentric nickel-titanium alloy tubes. This special material possesses superelasticity and shape memory properties, allowing it to precisely mimic the hand movements of surgeons, providing unprecedented control precision and operational flexibility.
These delivery arms are only 1 millimeter in diameter, much more miniaturized than similar products on the market, greatly reducing damage to patient tissues. The entire endoscope is less than half the diameter of a US dime, and this miniaturized design minimizes surgical trauma while maintaining excellent operational performance.
The system is equipped with a comprehensive set of surgical tools, including a high-definition camera, precision tissue forceps, tissue retractors, tissue snares, laser targeting operators, and electrosurgical tools. These miniaturized tools enable doctors to perform precise operations in extremely small spaces. Moreover, the system was initially designed to be remotely operated by human surgeons, allowing the robot to "mimic" and learn from doctors' decision-making and operational skills. Virtuoso plans to further integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision technologies to gradually achieve autonomy in certain surgical steps, improving surgical precision and safety.
First Human Clinical Trial
According to Dr. Herrell's announcement, this clinical trial was conducted on May 12 and 13, 2025, as part of the pilot phase of the VIABLE trial. The first six patients with bladder lesions underwent surgery, with 11 lesion tissues successfully removed. All surgeries were completed successfully with no significant complications reported.
Prior to this, the Virtuoso system had been extensively validated in animal experiments, cadaver studies, and tissue models, showing application potential across multiple fields.
These surgeries were led by Dr. Jeremy Teoh from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Dr. Herrell praised Dr. Teoh as a "world-renowned bladder cancer surgeon and research leader," and noted that Dr. Teoh's pioneering en bloc resection technique for bladder cancer lesions perfectly complements the precise control capabilities of the Virtuoso system.
This international collaboration demonstrates the global recognition of Virtuoso technology and lays the foundation for its future promotion in the global medical market.
Broad Application Prospects
The Virtuoso system is designed to provide unprecedented flexibility for rigid endoscopic surgery, with applications spanning multiple medical specialties:
Urology: Minimally invasive treatment of bladder cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
Neurosurgery: Providing fine neural tissue manipulation capabilities
Pulmonology: Precise removal of central airway obstructions
Gynecology: Uterine fibroids and other intrauterine surgeries
Orthopedics: Minimally invasive intra-articular surgery
Thoracic surgery: Fine manipulations within the thoracic cavity
Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT): Flexible operations in confined spaces
This multi-disciplinary applicability gives the Virtuoso system extremely high clinical value and market potential. The company is also advancing plans to make en bloc resection of bladder lesions more widespread and refined. Compared to traditional piecemeal resection techniques, en bloc resection preserves intact pathological structures, improves diagnostic accuracy, and may reduce the risk of tumor recurrence. The precise control capabilities of the Virtuoso system provide technical support for the widespread application of this advanced technique.
Future Development Plans
The success of the clinical trial is just the beginning of Virtuoso Surgical's journey. According to Dr. Herrell, the company is planning its next development strategy.
Virtuoso plans to submit an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). IDE is a key procedure for medical device clinical trials, allowing innovative devices to be used for clinical research under strict monitoring to collect safety and efficacy data. This is a necessary step for the technology to ultimately receive FDA approval and enter the U.S. market.
Dr. Herrell stated: "Virtuoso looks forward to continuing collaboration with Dr. Teoh and the team at the Chinese University of Hong Kong to jointly advance this surgical technique and our revolutionary product." This demonstrates the company's high value placed on international cooperation and its importance as a strategy for technology validation and market expansion.
Summary and Outlook
The successful first human clinical trial of Virtuoso Surgical's robotic endoscopy system is an important milestone in the company's development and represents a major leap in minimally invasive surgical technology. By organically combining cutting-edge robotic technology with medical expertise, the Virtuoso system brings unprecedented precision, flexibility, and safety to endoscopic surgery.
As clinical data accumulates and the technology is optimized, this innovative technology will bring better treatment experiences and clinical outcomes to millions of patients worldwide who need endoscopic surgery. Virtuoso Surgical's breakthrough progress demonstrates the enormous value of interdisciplinary collaboration in driving medical technology innovation and points the way for future developments in the field of endoscopic surgery.
