CMR Surgical Launches New Laparoscopic Surgical Robot vLimeLite, realizes major functionality upgrades

February 8th, 2024 - CMR Surgical, a global medical device company, announced the launch of vLimeLite, a new robotic system for laparoscopic surgery. This system integrates a fluorescence imaging system (IFIS) and uses indocyanine green (ICG) as a visualization tool, providing surgeons with enhanced visualization capabilities.

CMR Surgical is a global medical device company committed to transforming the way surgery is performed with the Versius next-generation surgical robot. The Versius Surgical Robotic System received EU CE marking in 2019. In 2022, CMR Surgical announced the completion of 5,000 surgeries globally in FY2022. In September 2023, CMR Surgical announced that the Versius Surgical Robotic System had accumulated more than 15,000 surgeries.

CMR Surgical Launches Surgical Robot vLimeLite

The vLimeLite system is the latest version of the Versius Plus surgical robot and the first in a series of products that CMR plans to release in 2024. This product provides significant enhancements to existing surgical robotic systems. With the upgraded features, the Versius Plus becomes the first CE-certified surgical robot on the market to offer an integrated ICG system. It features multiple viewing modes and a color display that enables ICG visualization for enhanced visualization during surgery.

ICG is a commonly used fluorescent dye that can be injected into a patient and fluoresces at specific wavelengths. During surgery, surgeons can use IFIS to activate the fluorescence of ICG and use that fluorescence to see the blood supply to tissues, lymphatic vessels, or other important structures in real time. This technology allows surgeons to see the internal structures and functions of the body more clearly during surgery, thereby guiding surgical operations and improving their success and safety.

The vLimeLite system is being launched for the first time in the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong, China, and will then be rolled out globally, subject to local regulatory approvals. In 2024, vLimeLite will launch additional products as part of Versius Plus.

Supratim Bose, CEO of CMR Surgical, said the vLimeLite system allows physicians to see what the naked eye cannot, enabling clear visibility of key anatomical structures during surgery. This is the most significant updated feature of Versius since its launch in 2019. This technological update was accomplished after fully listening to surgeons' needs for a best-in-class ICG product that will make a real difference for patients.

Gloucestershire Royal Infirmary NHS Trust in the UK is the first hospital to install vLimeLite, and its upper gastrointestinal team will begin operating with the latest system next month. Steve Hornby and Simon Higgs, consultant upper GI surgeons at the hospital, will be the first to use vLimeLite for surgery. They say vLimeLite will greatly improve the surgical experience.

Versius Surgical Robotic System

CMR Surgical unveiled the prototype and design details of its universal surgical robotic system, Versius, in 2016. After several years of careful development, the split-robot Versius was released in September 2018 and immediately attracted a lot of attention in the industry and became a competitor to the well-known "da Vinci" robotic system. In March 2019, the Versius system received CE marking from the European Union.

The Versius surgical robotic system is designed to meet the complex demands of laparoscopic surgery. It is equipped with a flexible, small robotic arm based on its unique patented 4-axis wrist joint that simulates human arm movements. Its console is ergonomically designed to provide surgeons with a better operating experience. The operator simply sits at the console and performs surgery by manipulating two joysticks and controlling the 3D vision system. In addition, Versius has a very small footprint of 38cm x 38cm and can be easily mounted around the operating table, allowing the surgical team to be in contact with the patient at all times, making it suitable for a wide range of surgical procedures.

Versius' surgical mode of operation is similar to that of the da Vinci robot, but the device is one-third the size of the da Vinci robot, making it easy to move and transport, which greatly enhances its utility. At the same time, the simpler nature of the operation also provides more possibilities for expanding the functions of Versius. While traditional surgical robots are large in size, Versius is only the size of a human arm, which provides surgeons with unprecedented freedom of maneuver. Its robotic arm is designed based on the bionic structure of the human arm, allowing the surgeon to place the front-end surgical actuator from any angle for greater utility and coverage.

Unlike the da Vinci robot, which has four arms mounted on the same trolley, the arms of Versius are mounted on separate trolleys. This modular design allows the robot to be moved around the operating table, and hospitals can adjust the number of arms according to the needs of the operation. The whole system can be moved and assembled within half an hour, and each module of the cart weighs only 15kg, which gives Versius an obvious advantage of lightness and flexibility compared to the da Vinci surgical robot, which weighs nearly 1 ton. In addition, the system is equipped with a 3D high-definition camera that provides 3D visualization of the body's internal anatomy, as well as a haptic force feedback and resistance detection system, which allows the surgeon to manipulate the robot more accurately and comfortably during surgery, and ensures that the robotic arm has the right amount of force in the patient's body.

Another major advantage of Versius is that it optimizes the process of human-computer interaction. Its console utilizes a variety of ergonomic work positions that effectively reduce leaning, bending, and awkward arm extension angles during surgery, thereby reducing repetitive strain injuries (RSI), back, knee, and neck injuries, and prolonging surgeons' careers. And, Versius is more than just a robot. It supports continuous learning for surgeons by capturing meaningful data through its extensive digital ecosystem. Through the Versius Connect app, Versius Trainer, and CMR Registry, Versius is able to provide rich insights that ultimately improve surgical care.