VirtaMed, a global leader in medical simulation training, and Memic Innovative Surgery Ltd (Memic), a medical device company with proprietary surgical robotic technology, announced on February 22 a partnership to develop virtual reality simulations for surgeons training on Memic’s Hominis Surgical System. Hominis is the first-ever FDA-cleared surgical robot that features miniature humanoid-shaped arms with shoulder, elbow and wrist joints that provide human-level dexterity and 360-degree articulation.
Based in Zurich, Switzerland and founded in 2007, VirtaMed develops virtual reality simulators for post-graduate medical training. During the covid pandemic in 2020, the company actually provided simulation training to Swiss university hospitals. Among the different types of virtual reality medical simulators it has developed, one is aimed at surgical gynecology and in particular at laparoscopy, better known as laparoscopy. This is in fact a method of exploration and surgical treatment that is performed by introducing an optical device and various instruments into the peritoneal cavity, allowing the organs to be seen and an operation to be performed without opening the abdomen.
Memic, founded in 2013 and based in Tel Aviv, Israel, which has a subsidiary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a medical device company dedicated to transforming surgery through its proprietary surgical robotics technology. Most notably, it has designed Hominis, a miniature surgical system, to replicate the movements and capabilities of a surgeon’s arms. It is currently the only product cleared by the FDA for transvaginal robotic surgery and can be used by trained physicians in the operating room. It is indicated for use in benign laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal gynecological procedures.
VirtaMed-Memic partnership to train surgeons via simulation
VirtaMed and Memic will jointly develop a training program that will allow surgeons to train in the use of the Hominis system to perform transvaginal gynecological procedures on consoles via virtual reality with kinematic feedback. The goal of this new simulation program is to promote effective learning for surgeons by providing training that will reflect all aspects of real-world surgery. Michael Conditt, PhD, senior vice president, strategic marketing and clinical development at Memic, said:
“Before entering the operating room, it is critical that surgeons performing any procedure, including transvaginal robotic surgeries, have developed confidence in their abilities. Training programs, including simulation, provide significant benefits in terms of skill progression and the level of confidence and refinement of skills needed to perform a procedure. They also ensure surgeons have a comprehensive understanding of how the tools and technologies they plan to use work.We are excited to partner with VirtaMed.”
This training is part of the ongoing Memic skills development pathway.
Stefan Tuchschmid, PhD, co – CEO and founder of VirtaMed, concludes:
“The skill development for Hominis is impressive and shows Memic’s strong commitment to professional training and represents our shared vision of providing off-site training and education for surgeons, in addition to real-world experience in the operating room, to improve surgical technique and Patient Outcomes.We are excited to apply our technological expertise for the first time to robotics and to be able to offer Hominis users procedural simulation in gynecology and potentially beyond in the years ahead.”
Translated from VirtaMed et Memic s’associent pour développer un nouveau simulateur de formation en réalité virtuelle robotique
