The MMI Symani system features a portable cart that houses a macropositioner used to move instruments into the operating field and micromanipulators that hold the instruments and enable 7 degrees of freedom. | Source: Medical Microinstruments
Medical Microinstruments Inc., or MMI, today announced that it has completed the first cases using its Symani Surgical System in a robotic neurosurgical clinical trial sponsored by the Jacobs Institute. The procedures took place at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, Kaleida Health’s largest facility and hub for heart, vein, and brain care.
“This advancement to first-in-human application builds on our 2024 preclinical study at the Jacobs Institute, which confirmed Symani’s potential in brain surgery,” stated Mark Toland, CEO of MMI.
“Dr. Siddiqui’s cases demonstrate how Symani delivers the precision required for the delicate, highly skilled maneuvers that neurosurgery demands – capabilities that facilitate and potentially even exceed what the human hands alone can achieve. This milestone represents meaningful progress toward expanding robotic microsurgery into one of the most technically challenging areas of patient care.”
Founded in 2015, MMI said it is developing robotic technology that pushes the limits of soft tissue open surgery and opens new opportunities for surgeons to restore quality of life for more patients with complex conditions. The Pisa, Italy-based company said Symani combines small, wristed micro-instruments with tremor-reducing and motion-scaling technologies.
MMI hopes to reduce stroke, seizures, paralysis, and more
In general, surgical treatment aims to reduce the occurrence of stroke, seizures, paralysis, and vision problems for patients. This includes serious and permanent damage to the brain.
MMI said it designed the Symani Surgical System to provide enhanced precision and control for the anastomosis and suturing of microscopic vessels with the thinnest available sutures. Surgeons have used the system in over 2,000 cases globally to provide care to patients in need of complex surgical treatment.
The company said it has demonstrated the system’s impact in lymphatic surgery extensively. MMI added that the study further supports its potential to address growing demands in the treatment of neurovascular disease and transform the lives of more patients through robotic capabilities.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the Symani System is authorized for use in the U.S. The robot is also a CE-marked medical device in Europe. Symani has not been evaluated or cleared by regulatory agencies for use in neurosurgical applications.
MMI has raised more than $200 million, including a $110 million Series C round in 2024 and a $75 million Series B round in 2022.
Study validates potential of Symani surgical system
Dr. Adnan Siddiqui, the CEO of the Jacobs Institute, performed indirect bypass, encephaloduroarteriosynagiosis (EDAS) surgery to restore adequate blood supply to the brain in three adults suffering from Moyamoya Disease (MMD). Siddiqui is also a University at Buffalo distinguished professor and vice chairman in the Department of Neurosurgery (UBNS) at the State University of New York at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
“This study represents so much more than foundational work for robotic brain surgery,” said Dr. Siddiqui. “The early success of these first brain surface cases, and the ability to perform minute surgical moves on the pulsating brain, should make the world as excited as it makes me and my esteemed peers in the neurosurgery community as we explore more ways Symani can revolutionize brain surgery.”
The investigational cases are part of an early feasibility study approved by the FDA. The Jacobs Institute, which sponsored the study, is a nonprofit medical device innovation center that aims to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies in vascular and neurologic medicine.
The study is assessing the safety and preliminary effectiveness of Symani in performing robotic-assisted neurosurgery for adult patients with MMD. Dr. Siddiqui will present these cases during the Hopkins Lecture at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS 2025 Annual Meeting) in Los Angeles next week.
Editor’s note: Iman Jeddi, senior vice president and general manager at Intuitive Surgical, will deliver a keynote at RoboBusiness 2025, which will be on Oct. 15 and 16 in Santa Clara, Calif. She will discuss the design and launch of the da Vinci 5 surgical robot.
RoboBusiness will be co-located with DeviceTalks West, the premier industry event for medical technology professionals. Register now to attend.
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