Robotic & Autonomous Neurosurgery
The whole brain,
through a keyhole.
Tharsis Surgical is developing a keyhole robotic platform designed to perform complex neurosurgical procedures through incisions as small as 8–14 mm — guided by AI built to plan the approach and, in time, help execute it. Our aim is neurosurgery that is dramatically less invasive, far less costly, and available well beyond the few centers that can offer it today.
The problem
Neurosurgery is powerful — and out of reach.
Open neurosurgery still often means large craniotomies, long operations, difficult recoveries, and cost measured in tens of thousands of dollars. The equipment and expertise concentrate in a small number of centers — and an estimated five million people a year who need neurosurgical care never receive it. Making the operation smaller is how we make it safer, cheaper, and reachable.
The system
A keyhole platform built on concentric-tube robotics.
Concentric-tube robots are thin, pre-curved, telescoping tubes that thread through a small opening and steer along curved paths to deep targets — bending around critical structures instead of cutting past them, and reaching the target through an opening the size of a fingertip.
Minimal access
Procedures through a keyhole of 8–14 mm — not open craniotomies.
Dexterous reach
Curved, telescoping tubes reach deep targets and work around eloquent tissue.
Robotic precision
Steady, sub-millimeter control that reaches beyond what the human hand can do.
One platform
A single system intended to span a wide range of cranial procedures.
Technology
Three systems, one operation.
Hardware, intelligence, and autonomy developed together — so the platform grows more capable without ever giving up the surgeon's control.
Robotic hardware
Miniaturized concentric-tube manipulators engineered for the sub-centimeter scale of keyhole neurosurgery — precise, stable, and steerable deep inside the skull.
AI planning & guidance
Software that designs the keyhole approach, registers to imaging, and helps the surgeon steer clear of critical structures in real time.
A path to supervised autonomy
Built human-in-the-loop first, advancing carefully along recognized levels of surgical autonomy — with safety as the gate at every step.
Why it matters
Care that can travel.
Global access
A compact, lower-cost platform can bring advanced neurosurgery to hospitals that could never house a conventional neurosurgical suite.
Cost efficiency
Smaller incisions, shorter stays, and less overhead — designed to lower the true cost of a procedure.
Austere & remote settings
Guidance and autonomy that could extend surgical capability where specialists are scarce.
The long horizon
Care ready to travel with humanity — to remote Earth, and one day beyond it.
Where we are
The road ahead.
Research & IP
Core concepts, patents, and the engineering foundation.
Current focusPrototype
Bench-scale robotic manipulators and planning software.
Preclinical validation
Cadaveric and laboratory testing of access, reach, and safety.
Regulatory & clinical
A structured path toward first-in-human study and clearance.
Roadmap is illustrative and early-stage; scope and timelines will evolve as the work matures.
Founder
Founded by a neurosurgeon.
Tharsis Surgical was founded by Wataru Ishida, MD, a neurosurgeon working at the intersection of operative neurosurgery, robotics, and imaging. It is a venture of Astro Neuro Holdings, formed to make neurosurgery smaller, safer, and available to far more of the world.
“The most powerful operations should also be the least invasive — and within reach of anyone who needs them.” Wataru Ishida, MD — Founder
Get involved
Let's build the future of neurosurgery.
Tharsis Surgical is early by design — the moment when partners shape what gets built. If any of this is your world, we'd like to talk.
Investors & strategic partners
Venture formation, IP, licensing, and co-development with aligned investors and medtech leaders.
Engineers & scientists
Robotics, AI, imaging, and materials — if you build things that make surgery smaller and safer, let's talk.
Clinical & research collaborators
Neurosurgeons, labs, and institutions interested in keyhole robotics and autonomy research.
Inquiries: wata@astroneuro.org