First surgical robotic solution blasts off into space to test remote monitoring for Earth-based care
DOTmed February 7, 2024
Scientists at NASA and the University of Nebraska have launched the first surgical robotics system on a rocket headed to the International Space Station where it will be used to test long-range remote simulated surgical care.
Dubbed spaceMIRA, the device is a modified version of the MIRA Surgical System, designed by Virtual Incision Corporation as the first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery (miniRAS) device. Both solutions are 1,000 times lighter than current technologies on the market, weighing approximately two pounds, and are primarily designed for abdominal procedures. MIRA stands for Miniaturized In vivo Robotic Assistant.
The launch took place on January 29 via the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The cargo vehicle was docked at the ISS...