Retinal Robotics Pioneers Launch VisioSurgical Solutions (VSS) to Bring Compact Surgical Robots to Every Retina Surgeon

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VisioSurgical Solutions (VSS), a Swiss medical robotics company founded by the team behind the first retinal surgery robot, today announced its launch and the start of development of a compact surgical robot for retinal surgery. VSS has selected Kaleidoscope Innovation (Cincinnati, Ohio), a medical device design and engineering firm, to develop the robotic platform under the direction of Founder and CEO Marc de Smet, MD, PhD.

The founding team combines retinal surgery and surgical robotics, ophthalmic drug and device development, and life-science business development:

• Marc de Smet, MD, PhD (Founder and CEO): practicing retinal and cataract surgeon and a pioneer in retinal robotics. Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Preceyes, whose system performed the first robot-assisted retinal surgery in a human and was acquired by Carl Zeiss Meditec in 2022; built the first prototype retinal surgery robot with TU Eindhoven; co-chair of the CCOI robotics committee.
• Patricia Zilliox, PhD (Co-Founder): former CEO and President of Eyevensys (non-viral gene therapy for retinal disease), Chief Drug Development Officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Research Institute, and head of clinical development at Alcon Laboratories from 1998 to 2011; board member and advisor to ophthalmic biotechs.
• Bryan Robb, MBA (Co-Founder): business development and corporate finance. Previously in business development at AC Immune in Lausanne, where he worked on transactions including a USD 2.1 billion licensing deal, and before that a biotech venture capital analyst in the United States.
  
  

Today’s surgical robots are room-sized, cost upwards of USD 1 million, and have reached only a handful of operating rooms: fewer than five robotic systems are in clinical use in retinal surgery worldwide. Retinal surgery itself is limited by the human hand. Natural tremor sets the ceiling, outcomes vary from surgeon to surgeon, and the roughly 3,000 retina specialists in the United States face some 3.3 million patients with vision-threatening macular diseases or diabetic retinopathy.

VSS is developing a compact robotic head that uses the surgeon’s existing microscope and intraoperative imaging: no dedicated operating room, no room-sized system. It is designed to fit any operating room and, in time, bring retinal surgery into the surgeon’s own practice.

The system is designed to deliver precision better than 10 microns, with tremor filtering, motion scaling and force limits that protect the retina; for perspective, the human retina is about 250 microns thick. The robot is an extension of the surgeon’s hands, not a replacement: the surgeon stays in control at every step.

“Retinal surgery works at a scale where the human hand sets the limit,” said Marc de Smet, Founder and CEO of VisioSurgical Solutions. “Our first robot showed that a machine can operate inside the eye with a precision no hand achieves. With VSS we are making that precision compact enough for any operating room, and we are building it so that the surgeon stays in control: the robot extends the surgeon’s hands, it does not replace them.”

Ben Ko, CEO of Kaleidoscope Innovation, VSS’s development partner, said: “Retinal surgery presents a compelling opportunity for surgical robotics, where precision, control, and consistency are paramount. Having previously collaborated with Dr. de Smet and Dr. Zilliox on innovative ophthalmic surgical technologies, we are excited to develop this platform with them. By combining their deep clinical expertise with Kaleidoscope’s product development capabilities across surgical and industrial robotics, we can address the unique technical challenges of retinal surgery and advance what is possible in the operating room.”

Development with Kaleidoscope Innovation starts with the concept phase and a first prototype, alongside a confirmation study in Lausanne of the company’s approach to retinal surgery without vitrectomy. The first applications are retinal surgery and the precise delivery of gene and cell therapies to the retina; glaucoma and cataract applications follow. VSS is currently raising a seed round to initiate the concept phase and the first prototype; a later Series A will fund development of the robot through to clinical readiness.

For more information, visit https://visiosurgicalsolutions.com/ or follow VisioSurgical Solutions on LinkedIn.

About VisioSurgical Solutions (VSS)
VisioSurgical Solutions (VSS) is a Swiss medical technology company based in Lausanne, founded in 2026 by Marc de Smet, Patricia Zilliox and Bryan Robb. VSS develops a compact surgical robot that extends what the retina surgeon’s hands can do: precision better than 10 microns in any operating room, new procedures such as retinal surgery without vitrectomy, and a platform for delivering the next generation of retinal therapies. The technology is fully owned by the company. The VSS system is in development and is not available for sale.

About Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope Innovation studios in Cincinnati, Boston, and Seattle provide clients with full-service insights, design, prototyping, engineering, human factors, and product development. For more than 37 years, we have been partnering with clients to create intuitive products and experiences that are a seamless extension of the people who use them. Learn more about our work at kascope.com.

Kaleidoscope Innovation is an Infosys company.

Media Contact

• Name: Bryan Robb
• Title: Co-Founder and COO
• Email: contact@visiosurgicalsolutions.com
• Website: www.visiosurgicalsolutions.com