The real breakthrough lies in building an independent and controllable technological system. From the localization of core components to the development of 5G remote standards, China is forming a complete innovation chain in the field of surgical robots. At Beijing Temple of Heaven Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, the deep brain tissue lesion destruction surgery that used to take 3 hours to complete can now be completed in just 1 hour. Behind this is the blessing of domestically produced SR surgical robots. By 2024, the hospital's functional neurosurgery department will have completed over 1200 surgeries using domestically produced surgical robots, marking a significant breakthrough in China's high-end medical equipment. Cai Xiujun, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and President of the Affiliated Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, said in an interview with Science and Technology Daily that surgical robots, especially domestic surgical robots, have brought unprecedented changes to disease treatment with disruptive innovation, rapid development speed, and excellent product quality. Surgical robots that are more precise, efficient, and safe are the "pearls" in the field of high-end medical equipment. Engineering magazine has listed them as one of the "Top 10 Global Engineering Achievements of 2024" and stated that surgical robot technology is restructuring the modern surgical system. What is a surgical robot? Taking the neurosurgical surgical robot as an example, it mainly consists of three core modules: hand (multi degree of freedom robotic arm), eye (high-precision vision system), and brain (high-performance surgical planning and control system). Zhang Jianguo, Director of Functional Neurosurgery at Beijing Temple of Heaven Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, explained to reporters that neurosurgical surgical robots enable doctors to plan surgeries based on multimodal medical images through spatial coordinate mapping, and control robotic arms to achieve precise positioning of minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures. Innovative technologies such as 3D structured light can not only quickly locate and register, but also achieve augmented reality projection, projecting lesions, important functional areas, fiber bundles, etc. into real space to help doctors remove lesions and control surgical errors at the sub millimeter level. At present, surgical robots are commonly used in fields such as general surgery, orthopedics, urology, gynecology, thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, and cardiac surgery. The application scenarios of surgical robots are extending from general surgery to specialized and difficult surgical procedures. Taking neurosurgery as an example, surgical robots can be used for the treatment of diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, cerebral hemorrhage, as well as in scenarios such as tumor biopsy, lesion localization, and neuroendoscopy. Zhang Jianguo introduced that by 2024, the utilization rate of stereotactic surgical robots in Beijing Temple of Heaven Hospital will reach 80%, and specific surgical procedures such as intracranial electrode implantation will achieve 100% robot assistance. Precision is one of the core advantages of surgical robots. Zhang Jianguo introduced that in complex surgeries such as epilepsy lesion localization and Parkinson's deep brain electrical stimulation, robots can integrate multimodal images such as CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), etc. to form sub millimeter level surgical path planning, making the surgery more accurate. Cai Xiujun said that compared to traditional open surgery, surgical robots can expand the surgical field of view by dozens of times, and the robotic arm can complete 360 degree flexible navigation in narrow anatomical areas, completing difficult surgical movements. The robotic arm has a stabilizer, which can effectively prevent accidents such as scratching nerves and blood vessels due to hand tremors during surgery, significantly increasing surgical safety. In addition, robotic surgery has advantages such as minimal trauma, less bleeding, and faster recovery. In terms of surgical efficiency, Zhang Jianguo cited the SEEG (stereotactic electroencephalography) electrode implantation surgery as an example, saying, "The traditional method of implanting 10 electrodes takes 120-180 minutes, while using surgical robots only takes 40-50 minutes, or even faster." "Currently, the performance of surgical robots has been greatly improved, gradually becoming an indispensable assistant for clinical doctors, making doctors more proficient in performing difficult surgeries," Cai Xiujun said. Independent innovation opens up a breakthrough in the global surgical robot market, which has long been dominated by multinational companies such as Da Vinci and Medtronic. In recent years, Chinese medical technology companies have been opening up a breakthrough through independent innovation. According to the "Blue Book of Chinese Medical Devices (2024 Edition)", in 2024, domestic enterprises were approved for 7 surgical robots, 4 imported products, and domestic equipment accounted for about 64%, an increase of 42% compared to 3 years ago. The capability of domestic surgical robots is gradually gaining clinical recognition. In October 2024, Peking Union Medical College Hospital completed the first domestic endoscopic robot assisted radical surgery for pancreatic cancer, verifying the effectiveness and safety of the domestic endoscopic surgical robot in pancreatic surgery. In the field of neurosurgery, the Huake Precision SR series robots, with the world's first 3D structured light technology, can complete three-dimensional modeling of the brain in 15 seconds. Its 0.3mm positioning accuracy has surpassed imported ROSA surgical robots. The remote performance of domestic surgical robots is particularly favored in clinical practice. At the National Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Devices in Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine, the 5G remote surgery system developed by Cai Xiujun's team set a record and completed the world's first ultra remote robotic hepatobiliary surgery spanning 4000 kilometers; The Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery Department of the First Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital has completed the world's first satellite based ultra remote pancreaticoduodenectomy surgery using domestically produced surgical robots... "Domestic surgical robots have particularly outstanding performance in remote performance, which can further overcome the limitations of distance, talent, time and space faced by the expansion and sinking of high-quality medical services," said Cai Xiujun. After years of independent research and innovation, domestic surgical robots have led the world in multiple key technologies. The real breakthrough lies in building an independent and controllable technological system, "said Cai Xiujun. From the localization of core components to the formulation of 5G remote standards, China is forming a complete innovation chain in the field of surgical robots. With the implementation of the new version of the Special Review Procedure for Innovative Medical Devices, the domestic medical robot industry will enter a new stage of high-quality development. Industrial upgrading requires joint efforts to tackle key issues. According to the "2024 China Surgical Robot Industry Research Report," the industrial chain of surgical robots is mainly divided into upstream production links such as raw materials and core components, midstream links such as body assembly, system integration, and software development, and downstream end use links. Among them, the highest technological barriers are the three core components of servo electric systems, reducers, and controllers located upstream, with the market mainly monopolized by the United States, Germany, and Japan. The robotic arm is the core component of surgical robots, and currently domestic medical robotic arms cannot fully meet clinical needs. Zhang Jianguo frankly stated, "In terms of stability and accuracy, there is still a gap between the mechanical arms of domestic surgical robots and clinical needs." Cai Xiujun mentioned that existing surgical robots lack precise tactile feedback, which affects doctors' perception of tissues. This may result in doctors being unable to accurately control the amount of force applied during surgical procedures, which may lead to serious complications. In addition, the technical standards for surgical robots from different manufacturers are not unified, which affects device compatibility and data sharing. How to overcome difficulties and achieve the upgrade and leap of domestic surgical robots? Zhang Jianguo calls for strengthening cooperation between robotic arm manufacturers and medical equipment manufacturers, and enhancing collaboration between doctors and engineers to develop high-quality domestic robotic arms that meet medical needs as soon as possible. At the same time, it is necessary to conduct research on the expansion of indications for domestic surgical robots and expand their application scenarios. Cai Xiujun suggested improving the cost-effectiveness of domestic robotic arms, reducing robot costs, and developing advanced tactile sensors and feedback systems to further enhance robot perception capabilities. Digital technology is a driving force for the high-quality development of domestic surgical robots. Zhang Jianguo believes that domestic surgical robots should integrate new technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, and develop towards intelligence, automation, and intelligence. In terms of policy, Cai Xiujun suggests that clear laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines should be established around the application of surgical robots to ensure clear responsibilities and strengthen data security protection. At the same time, the application of surgical robots should be included in corresponding clinical guidelines and given more reasonable medical insurance policy support. From "following" to "running in parallel", domestic surgical robots are writing a new chapter in China's "intelligent" manufacturing. With the cooperation of multiple parties, the domestic surgical robot market is expected to experience explosive growth, providing more hardcore technological support for the construction of a healthy China. (New Society)