British medical device company Brainomix and Swiss-based remote robotic surgery company Nanoflex Robotics announced the receipt of £400,000 ($420,418) and CHF 400,000 ($443,700), respectively, to jointly develop an AI-assisted magnetic navigation system for stroke-related robotic surgical tools.
The funding was awarded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, and Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency.
Brainomix, which was spun out of the University of Oxford, is developing AI-enabled software to support treatment decisions for stroke, cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.
Nanoflex is a medical robotics company focused on the treatment of ischemic stroke. The company has developed a soft robotic system that inserts guidewires and catheters into the brain. It says its technology can simplify and shorten the procedure time, while reducing the risks associated with assessing the brain for interventional stroke treatment.
Under the partnership, which will begin in 2024, the companies will combine their technologies to create an AI-assisted navigation tool for devices such as catheters as they move through the vascular system.
“The project aims to harness the power of artificial intelligence to enhance Nanoflex Robotics’ state-of-the-art magnetic robotic navigation system to become the world’s first system to enable remote thrombectomy, transforming stroke treatment options and helping to improve patient outcomes,” Dr. George Harston, chief medical and innovation officer at Brainomix, said in a statement.