London, UK — December 12, 2024 — Panda Surgical, in collaboration with University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and University College London (UCL), has been awarded an NIHR Invention for Innovation Product Development Award (NIHR i4i PDA) with total funding exceeding £1 million. This funding will support the development of the Panda Surgical handheld robotic platform for minimally invasive neurosurgery, and facilitate the first-ever human trial of handheld robotic technology in brain tumor removal surgery.

The two-year project will focus on advancing the development of this platform, which integrates robotic instruments with artificial intelligence to enhance neurosurgeons' precision and provide decision-support during complex procedures. In partnership with UCLH and UCL, the Panda Surgical team will develop and evaluate the technology, culminating in a first-in-human clinical trial in London to assess its safety and feasibility.

‘Our mission is to enhance the neurosurgeon’s capabilities to improve patient outcomes and allow hospitals to maximise their resources. This continued support from the NIHR is a critical step forward, accelerating our development and ensuring the safety of our robotic platform as it enters clinical trials for the first time.’

- Manios Dimitrakakis, Panda Surgical CEO

‘Combining robotic instruments with artificial intelligence has the potential to transform neurosurgery. This project represents a significant advancement in our efforts to perform minimally invasive brain tumor surgeries safely and effectively’

- Hani Marcus, UCLH neurosurgeon & Panda Surgical Co-founder

‘By involving people who have undergone pituitary surgery in our project from an early stage, we will be able to ensure that our innovations are fit for purpose.  The input of our Patient Advisory Group will be invaluable in helping co-create the materials we will use for our first in-human studies.’

- Simon Watt, UCL Public Engagement manager

The NIHR (https://www.nihr.ac.uk/) i4i Product Development Award (PDA) supports collaborative research and development of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies for use in the NHS or social care system. PDA aims to de-risk innovations, supporting early product development and real-world evaluation.

About Panda Surgical

Panda Surgical, a University College London spinout, is developing the first ever handheld Robotics platform for minimally invasive neurosurgery, offering surgeons enhanced dexterity and decision-support making these complex operations safer, more effective, and more widely adopted.