For the further development of robot-assisted ocular surgical procedures, Eindhoven-based Medtech start-up Preceyes and the Mount Sinai Health System (US) are starting a strategic collaboration. As part of the collaboration, Mount Sinai has made an equity investment in Preceyes and joins its Board of Directors. A further goal of this collaboration is to support Preceyes’ strategy to enter the US market, after the necessary FDA approvals and clearance process.
The collaboration and equity investment (for which no financial details are officially shared) follows the arrival of an investigational Preceyes Surgical System at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) in June 2020. This was the first installation of a medical robot for ophthalmology in the United States. The Preceyes Surgical System is not yet approved for use in the United States. NYEE is currently using the installed robot to perform laboratory research, explore possible future clinical uses, and introduce the technology to NYEE researchers.
More on the early development of Preceyes here
Preceyes and Mount Sinai plan to collaborate to further develop ocular surgical procedures that will enable novel high-precision treatments and benefit existing surgical procedures, and eventually to develop and launch the first clinical studies of this exciting technology in the United States.
Gerrit Naus, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Preceyes calls the collaboration with Mount Sinai “a major recognition” of the technology’s potential impact on ocular surgery and his company’s position in the field of high-precision medical robotics. “We are delighted to have Mount Sinai as a partner as we grow Preceyes into a leading medical robotics company by serving our customers in their care of patients. Mount Sinai’s investment and partnership form a key milestone that supports our long-term strategy.”
Sean Ianchulev, Professor of Ophthalmology and Head of the Microsurgical Robotics Program at NYEE said: “Our faculty and leadership at Mount Sinai work relentlessly to bring better care to our patients. It is nothing less than remarkable that, amid a pandemic, NYEE continues to innovate, leading the way to the future in surgical robotics for ophthalmic care in the US.”
CE Mark
The PRECEYES Surgical System already has the (European) CE-mark and has been clinically validated to assist surgeons in retinal surgery. The system is not yet approved for use in the United States. It is intended to assist trained surgeons during retina surgery in patients requiring vitreoretinal intervention under local or general anesthesia. The use of the robotic assistant is anticipated to not only improve treatment quality to be provided to patients but also offers the possibility of developing completely new treatments.
