The Memo: AiM Medical Robotics Bringing Real-Time Imaging and Robotic Precision to Neurosurgery

Under the direction of Co-Founder and CEO Gregory Fischer, AiM Medical Robotics is developing a fully MRI-compatible robotic platform for stereotactic neurosurgery that enables submillimeter accuracy and real-time intraoperative image guidance.

Origin Story

Gregory Fischer’s path to leading AiM Medical Robotics spans more than two decades of pioneering research in surgical robotics. Fischer has dedicated his career to solving a fundamental problem in modern surgery: the absence of real-time imaging during interventions.

“While it sounds obvious, image guidance during surgery is often unavailable in many procedures today,” Fischer explained. “Procedures are typically performed using ‘stale’ images acquired days, hours, or minutes earlier. But tissues move, targets shift, and what you planned for isn’t always what you find once you begin.”

This insight shaped Fischer’s vision early on. As a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), he developed a vibration-sensing drill for spinal surgery and conducted cadaver studies that solidified his passion for precision interventions. At Johns Hopkins, he joined the NSF-funded Computer-Integrated Surgery center, contributing to foundational work across surgical robotics. His projects included magnetic field distortion correction for electromagnetic tracking, the Steady-Hand Robot (which evolved into the Galen platform), robotic ultrasound imaging, AR-guided surgical instrument alignment, and early MRI-compatible robotic systems. His PhD focused on enabling technologies for MRI-guided interventions, resulting in one of the most widely cited publications in the field.

In 2008, Fischer joined Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as a Professor of Robotics Engineering, launched the AIM Laboratory, and began advancing MRI-compatible robotic platforms. His early work focused on prostate interventions, where intraoperative imaging revealed just how much anatomical targets could move during the procedure. That insight laid the groundwork for a broader vision: delivering therapies in soft tissue environments where real-time guidance is essential. 

After meeting neurosurgeon Dr. Julie Pilitsis, they saw a critical need in stereotactic neurosurgery to ensure targeting and therapeutic delivery were done exactly as intended, despite target motion within the skull. “After 10 years and $7 million in NIH-funded research, we had developed a fully integrated MRI-compatible robotic stereotactic neurosurgery system capable of performing conformal ablation of arbitrary tumor shapes under real-time MRI-based thermal dose monitoring,” Fischer said.

The company, AiM Medical Robotics, officially spun out after Fischer and Pilitsis connected with a third co-founder, investment banker Craig Pierson, who had a strong interest in piezoelectric actuation technology. Pierson worked with the pair to found the company, where Fischer initially served as an advisor while maintaining his academic role. “We then exclusively licensed all of the MRI-compatible surgical robot technology from my academic lab into the company,” Fischer said.

In 2023, Fischer took leave from his Professor position at WPI to step into the full-time CEO role. “We felt that in order to succeed, it was critical to have someone who lives and breathes this technology push it forward,” he said. “I see this as the culmination of the last 20 years of my work finally on the brink of making an incredible difference in so many people’s lives.” Since then, AiM has assembled a world-class clinical, business, and engineering team to make this vision a reality.

The Current Landscape

Stereotactic neurosurgery demands extraordinary precision, but the standard of care today relies on “stale” imaging acquired minutes, hours, or even days before a procedure begins. During surgery, critical structures within the brain often shift due to changes in patient positioning, cerebrospinal fluid loss and air infiltration after burr hole creation, swelling, and other factors. This creates significant discrepancies between the surgical plan and the real-time anatomy.

“In neurosurgery, submillimeter accuracy is often necessary to maximize benefits and minimize side effects,” Fischer explained. “But that’s not submillimeter with respect to the skull; it’s relative to the soft tissue anatomical targets deep inside the brain. Whether you’re placing a neurostimulator lead, taking a biopsy, ablating a tumor, or injecting a therapy, precision is key.”

AiM’s solution is to bring real-time intraoperative MRI directly into the surgical workflow and pair it with robotic precision. “This provides better speed and accuracy, and we would expect also improved outcomes, so everyone wins,” Fischer said.

Inside the Innovation

AiM’s robotic platform is a fully MRI-compatible stereotactic frame that serves as an accessory to nearly any MRI system, whether a dedicated interventional MRI (iMRI) or a traditional diagnostic MRI configuration. The compact system fits inside two suitcase-sized containers, requires no permanent installation or room modification, and can be set up in minutes. 

The system’s robotic arm is made of high-strength plastics and powered by a proprietary piezoelectric actuation system. The team also developed a custom MRI-compatible control system that operates safely within the MRI room without degrading image quality. “We’ve spent decades perfecting the use of MRI-compatible robot technology,” Fischer said. “We built everything from the ground up to operate in these environments.”

What sets AiM apart is its seamless integration of real-time imaging and precision robotics. “The AiM robot allows for real-time imaging to account for intraoperative brain shift and to provide highly accurate delivery of DBS leads for patients with Parkinson’s disease,” he explained.

Though the company’s initial indication is DBS, the platform is also well-suited for ablation for functional and oncology targets, biopsy, and intracranial delivery of therapeutics, including gene and cell therapies. Fischer believes its modular architecture can support future expansions into spinal, abdominal, urological, and gynecological interventions.

Progress and Milestones

AiM is entering its next phase of development following the close of an $8.1 million Series A round and expansion of the management team. The capital will fund a first-in-human clinical study focused on bilateral DBS lead implantation in patients with Parkinson’s disease using AiM’s robotic platform coupled with iMRI. The company anticipates demonstrating the system’s accuracy, efficiency, and feasibility in live patients.

In parallel, AiM is developing the commercial system. A $30 million Series B round is planned for next Spring and is expected to bring the company through completion of product development, regulatory clearance, and commercial launch.

The company maintains strong ties to WPI and is a member of PracticePoint, a state-funded medtech accelerator Fischer previously founded. This gives AiM access to a full operating suite, a 3T MRI scanner, and manufacturing capabilities, all down the hall from its headquarters in Worcester, Massachusetts. 

Join Us at LSI USA ‘26

Fischer has been selected to present at LSI USA ‘26 next March 16th–20th in front of hundreds of global medical technology companies. Join us in welcoming him to the event in Dana Point, CA, where he will share the latest updates on AiM Medical Robotics’ technology and development.