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Noah Medical’s Galaxy is a totally built-in surgical robotics system for navigated bronchoscopy. | Credit score: Noah Medical

Medical robotics continues its spectacular march ahead inside mainstream medication. From new purposes to new applied sciences, the sphere demonstrated spectacular development over the past yr.

However there’s nonetheless unimaginable room to develop, and looking forward to 2024, there are a number of clear areas of alternative.

Market situations align for development

The observe of robotics in medical procedures has come a good distance in a short while. The primary robotic-assisted surgical procedure on a stay affected person was carried out nearly 40 years in the past. Now, it’s an $18 billion world market and is estimated to develop to $83 billion by 2032. Intuitive Surgical studies that its da Vinci techniques alone have carried out 12 million procedures.

However this solely scratches the floor of what’s potential. Extra surgical robotics techniques for extra kinds of procedures have made the know-how’s advantages to sufferers, surgeons and hospitals abundantly clear. Sufferers expertise much less invasive operations for quicker restoration and therapeutic, surgeons can function with precision and keep away from some bodily stress on their our bodies, and hospitals get monetary savings with shorter stays and fewer readmissions whereas additionally gaining a aggressive advertising edge.

Because of this, extra well being techniques and physicians are increasing their use of surgical robotics. A current Bain examine discovered that 78% of surgeons within the U.S. are serious about surgical robotics. And even in arenas the place robotics are widespread — like hip and knee replacements — the examine discovered there are nonetheless numerous procedures that don’t but contain robotics.

Close to-term development alternatives shall be outlined by corporations exploiting gaps within the present market, both specializing in new illness states and specialties or delivering second-generation options that enhance upon current options. From a know-how and innovation perspective, search for the continued enlargement of synthetic intelligence (AI) in robotics, the usage of modern new supplies in robotic building, ever-smaller footprint robotic techniques, and surgical procedure within the Metaverse.

Submit your nominations for innovation awards within the 2024 RBR50 awards.

Integration of AI

Maybe no single phrase or know-how dominated conversations in 2023 like AI, and healthcare was no exception. Its use in imaging, prognosis and different purposes continued to interrupt new floor and demonstrated its potential to enhance affected person outcomes alongside supplier effectivity.

In 2024, count on AI to grow to be steadily onboarded into new and current robotic platforms. Its confirmed effectiveness in imaging holds promise for improved navigational capabilities, real-time prognosis and even the automation of fundamental features.

Additional forward, we’re prone to see the healthcare equal of driverless vehicles with robotic platforms capable of autonomously lead on some procedures. In a current American School of Surgeons journal article, Dr. Stephanie Worrell mentioned that AI may even sooner or later use video data of 1000’s of surgical procedures carried out by physicians to copy a surgical job in order that it may be carried out by a machine.

Supplies enchancment

Advances in smooth robotics obtained a lot consideration over the previous yr, showcasing the potential for robotics to function safely throughout the human physique.

Most lately, a world staff from the College of Galway and MIT debuted an implantable machine that mixes AI and smooth robotics to constantly ship medicine over time by altering its form to beat fibrosis. This strategy may show helpful for treating persistent situations like diabetes.

Anticipate these purposes and others to display appreciable momentum in 2024. Initiatives already in growth embrace smooth robotic arms that may achieve entry to the surgical website well.

Dimension issues

Early robotic platforms have been huge constructs that took up quite a lot of bodily house and required in depth assist techniques. This naturally restricted deployments to bigger well being techniques with better sources.

Past exterior surgical procedure techniques, the sphere of nanorobotics guarantees tiny robots that may journey throughout the physique to ship medicine, restore tendons or monitor for illness situations. Earlier this yr, a staff from South Korea revealed a examine detailing their use of exterior magnets to exactly information a mini robotic via the bloodstream of a pig to an arterial blockage the place it delivered distinction dye and navigated again to an extraction website.

Whereas the influence of introducing nanorobots into the human physique continues to be unclear, this area is extremely thrilling and has huge potential to advance human well being and affected person outcomes.

Telesurgery

The pandemic helped telehealth go mainstream. Now, the maturation of that know-how alongside novel developments just like the Metaverse are opening the door to distant surgical procedure.

To make certain, distant coaching of surgeons has been carried out for years, however new mixed-reality instruments are accelerating coaching for robotic-assisted surgical procedure and extra complicated procedures. As these applied sciences proceed to evolve, we may sooner or later see robots performing life-saving battlefield procedures whereas the surgeons working them stay protected 1000’s of miles away.

Methods for fulfillment

Whereas 2024 will undoubtedly see new developments that would result in much more purposes of robotic know-how for well being and surgical procedure, the important thing shall be innovation via a twin lens of affected person and well being system advantages.

Capital-intensive investments like new robotic techniques will flounder with out demonstrating a capability to each enhance affected person outcomes in addition to present operational and financial advantages to well being suppliers. Meaning second-generation robots should ship extra scientific worth and quicker therapeutic for sufferers alongside better effectivity and income for well being techniques and their workers.

Innovators should additionally resist the urge to construct robots for the sake of constructing robots. There isn’t a marketplace for a robotic platform that can’t dramatically enhance the time, value or outcomes of present strategies.

The important thing for big and small robotics corporations alike is to work hand-in-hand with physicians on the event of latest techniques. This collaborative strategy will allow corporations to leapfrog right this moment’s applied sciences and make the stuff of yesterday’s science fiction tomorrow’s actuality.

Editor’s Notice: This text was republished from sister web site Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Concerning the Writer

Jian Zhang, founder and CEO of Noah Medical, is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded two different profitable startups and served as CEO. He was additionally worker No. 2 at Auris Well being, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for $5.7B in 2019.

Earlier than becoming a member of Auris, he labored at Intuitive Surgical. Zhang obtained his MS and PhD from Columbia College.