Switzerland-based remote robotic surgical company Nanoflex Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) medtech firm Brainomix will collaborate with nearly $1 million in financial backing from the UK and Switzerland to deliver an AI-assisted magnetic navigation system for robotic surgical tools.

The awarded grant money falls under the UK – Switzerland Bilateral: Collaborative R&D program and came from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, and Innosuisse, Switzerland's innovation agency. Both bodies gave £400,000 and CHF 400,000 respectively which approximately totals $936316. 

Dr George Harston, Chief Medical & Innovation Officer at Brainomix said: "We are grateful for the support of Innovate UK to fund our work with Nanoflex Robotics. The project aims to leverage the power of artificial intelligence to enhance Nanoflex Robotics' cutting-edge magnetic robotic navigation system to be the first system worldwide to enable remote thrombectomy.”  

The partnership will begin in 2024 and will leverage Brainomix's AI-enabled diagnostic imaging abilities and Nanoflex Robotics' magnetic navigation technology to create an assisted-navigation feature for interventional devices, like catheters.  

It is predicted that the first product will be a mobile robotics system that leverages flexible guidewires to allow direct steering control of the tip giving physicians greater control.

This latest funding for Nanoflex Robotics brings the brings the overall funds received through Innosuisse to $3.2 million (CHF 2.9 million).