ForSight Robotics' Road to Performing a Fully Robotic Cataract Surgery
Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness worldwide, yet a critical shortage of trained surgeons limits access to treatment. ForSight Robotics, an Israel-based company, believes robotics and artificial intelligence can bridge this gap. The company recently announced a landmark achievement: its JASPER platform completed the world’s first fully robot-assisted cataract surgery on a human patient in April 2025.
“When I was starting to do ophthalmic surgery, eye surgery, I noticed a few things. It’s very hard to do those procedures. The movements are very delicate,” said Dr. Joseph Nathan, ForSight Robotics’ co-founder, president, and chief medical officer. “We don’t have enough surgeons. We have this huge gap between the number of surgeons and the surge in patients.”
How JASPER Works
Formerly known as ORYOM, the JASPER platform is designed to assist surgeons at every step of cataract surgery. It provides advanced imaging, precision motion scaling, and reduced variability between procedures, helping to alleviate surgeon fatigue and standardize outcomes.
The April procedure was performed by Dr. Alexey Rapoport, with Dr. Robert Edward T. Ang of the Asian Eye Institute in Manila serving as principal investigator. Unlike previous ophthalmic robotic systems that only handled partial tasks, JASPER executed the entire surgery from the first incision to closure.
“This is a transformative event that happened because this is the gateway to really accomplishing the vision of standard designing or doing consistent surgery and being able to accommodate many more surgeons,” Nathan said.
Although JASPER uses AI to prevent errors, it does not operate autonomously. The surgeon remains in full control at all times.
“We worked with many, many surgeons from many different geographies on animal models, artificial models, to really optimize their ability to control the platform and to benefit from the platform,” Nathan explained. “It’s a completely assisted robot that helps in every step, but the surgeon is in full control. The benefit is that the surgeons have different dexterity or manual abilities, and [the robot] makes it more unified and consistent.”
Why the Eye Has Been Overlooked in Robotics
Robots have assisted in surgeries for decades, but the eye has remained largely untouched by the technology. Nathan attributes this to the organ’s unique characteristics.
“The eye is very unique. It’s one inch from the back of the eye to the front of the eye. It’s a very small organ. It’s highly unusual,” he said. “If you look at other soft tissue robots like [Intuitive Surgical’s] da Vinci, these are big working spaces for the robot. So this is completely different.”
He added: “The other really unique thing about the eye is that it’s a transparent tissue. If you think about it, it’s probably the only transparent tissue in the body.”
These factors, combined with the shortage of skilled surgeons, create a strong opportunity for robotics. Nathan noted that the precision required and the lack of trained professionals make the eye an ideal candidate for automation.
“You need a very, very sophisticated and precise robotic platform that really encompasses the cutting edge of what we can offer in terms of computing power, micromechanics, all that stuff,” Nathan said.
Addressing the Surgeon Shortage and Ergonomics
ForSight designed JASPER to work in harmony with surgeons, improving dexterity and patient outcomes while making the surgeon’s job easier. Ergonomics is a major concern in the field.
“We’re seeing over two-thirds of surgeons report having musculoskeletal issues, and 15% actually terminated their careers early due to poor ergonomics,” Nathan said. “The first thing I learned in medical school is that in order to give the best results, the best outcomes, you need to be very comfortable in how you operate.”
The robot also provides consistency, giving surgeons confidence regardless of their experience level. Nathan described it as a “skill enabler” that can elevate novice surgeons to near-elite performance.
“This is really the gateway for being a skill enabler for surgeons in general, but also kind of bumping those young novice surgeons to be at the elite level of surgeons,” he said.
Path to U.S. Market
With the first fully robotic cataract surgery now completed, ForSight Robotics is focusing on regulatory approval in the United States. The company plans to conduct additional clinical work and navigate the necessary regulatory pathways over the next few years.
“Our target is getting to the market in the U.S. This is our first target market, and in the next few years, we’re going to do some more clinical work,” Nathan said. “We’re going to go through the regulatory process that is needed in order to be a very safe and efficient technology in the market.”
The Yokne’am Illit-based company is building on the momentum from its $125 million funding round in 2025 and the successful full-surgery milestone.
“This is a super exciting time because we’re kind of in uncharted territory,” Nathan said. “This is going to be something that helps us to set the bar in terms of what robotic eye surgery is going to be like in the next decade or so.”
Nathan emphasized that the company’s strength lies in its people and its product-market fit.
“People make the company. They make the products. We have an amazing core team that has built this amazing technology,” he said. “It’s all about the product fit in the right industry. You see the need. How do you see all the stakeholders and how everything needs to be aligned and connected?”
The source for this article is https://www.therobotreport.com/forsight-robotics-road-to-performing-a-fully-robotic-cataracts-surgery/.