Microbot Medical and Emory University in the US have signed an agreement to assess the future autonomous capabilities of the Liberty endovascular robotic surgical system.

Under the agreement, the university will be responsible for exploring the feasibility of integrating the surgical system with an imaging system for creating an autonomous robotic system to carry out endovascular procedures.

The evaluation will be led by Amir Pourmorteza from Emory University Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the Winship Cancer Institute, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, under Project Trita.

Pourmorteza said: “Autonomous robotics has the potential to standardise outcomes, improve efficiencies, reduce radiation exposure, and democratise access to top-level healthcare.

“Project Trita merges CT guidance, artificial intelligence, and medical robotics.”

The Liberty system is designed to improve endovascular procedures by eliminating the need for large equipment while reducing radiation exposure.

Microbot Medical CEO, president and chairman Harel Gadot said: “Our vision for the future of endovascular robotics includes autonomous capabilities, which have the potential to standardise endovascular procedures and improve access to benefit millions of patients globally.

“We believe Liberty can be integrated with imaging, planning and navigation software to ultimately create an autonomous robotic system that can be used in endovascular procedures.”

In June 2024, Microbot Medical secured the US Food and Drug Administration approval to proceed with its pivotal human clinical trial for its Liberty system.

The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts will serve as one of the clinical trial sites to perform the pivotal human study of the Liberty system.