What we’re learning from urologists working in a range of clinical settings
We spent 2025 putting Glenn™, the new product direction for our next-generation robotics system, through its paces.
Our design and development process includes inviting urologists from a wide range of clinical settings to experience Glenn through invitation-only meetings held across the United States and Canada to provide crucial feedback.
For example, in the words of Clinical Advisory Board Member Dr. Jeffrey C. Bassett, Glenn’s accuracy means:
“I can take fewer biopsy cores with increased diagnostic accuracy . . . a win-win. From a patient standpoint, the more targeted the biopsy, the quicker the recovery.”
Here’s how we know.
Targeting cancer with greater accuracy and speed in the prostate
When we launched Glenn’s name and product direction, we shared a video of a peach cut in half to reveal the pit inside and several round pins. It plays at the top of our website, but if you’re not a urologist, you might be wondering what it means.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. As they age, men’s prostates grow larger over time, expanding from roughly the size of a peach pit to something as large as the peach itself. With age also comes an increased risk for prostate cancer, which is why screening is often recommended for men over age 50.
In our video clip, the peach represents that variable range in prostate size while demonstrating Glenn’s speed and accuracy in reaching targets (e.g., the red pins), and its precision when aiming at closely-spaced targets.
But why does that accuracy matter?
Dr. Jeffrey C. Bassett, the Benjamin and Carmela Du Endowed Chair in Urologic Oncology at Hoag Medical Group, part of a not-for-profit regional health care network in Orange County, California, is a leader in providing targeted prostate cancer treatment. He champions a minimally-invasive approach to meet each patient’s needs, compared to traditional approaches that surgically remove or apply radiation to the entire prostate, not just the cancer.
Dr. Bassett, who joined our clinical advisory board in July 2024, regularly performs both minimally invasive and traditional open surgeries, depending on the disease’s presentation and progress. If the cancer is indolent or slow-growing, his preference is to monitor the prostate over time, and tailor the treatment accordingly. This approach helps to reduce side effects from existing whole-prostate treatments, such as urinary incontinence, bowel problems, and sexual dysfunction.
New tools, such as focal ablation therapy, aim to allow urologists to target specific areas of the prostate affected by cancer. In practice, however, the current technology lacks the precision to effectively target just the cancerous tissue.
“We were surprised to learn that even with the current standard of focal ablation, urologists often end up treating half the prostate,” says Fazila Seker, CEO and Board Director of Insight Medbotics. “Focal ablation offers various treatment options, each with different risks and benefits depending on the type of cancer and where it's located. But whether the urologist chooses to use cryotherapy, laser, or irreversible electroporation (IRE), these options lack the ability to precisely treat the cancer while protecting the surrounding healthy tissue. It’s particularly challenging in cases where the cancer sits on the very edge of the prostate.”
In contrast, Glenn offers a true north for both biopsies and delivering precise therapies.
“The urologists who’ve seen Glenn tell us that using it to biopsy suspicious lesions will lead to a far more precise and reproducible biopsy procedure,” says Seker. “In turn, Glenn’s precision would also allow them to truly perform targeted focal therapies that preserve more healthy tissue. Our hope would be that more patients may become candidates for focal therapy with Glenn while avoiding the side-effects of traditional whole-prostate treatment options.”
That’s a big win for urologists and for their patients.
