NaoTrac, first-in-human brain surgery with Tinavi's TiRobot

"Three years ago apatient met Tian Wei, a top spinal surgeon at Beijing’s Jishuitan Hospital and an advocate of using robotics in medical operations.  Tian and his team used a technology called the TiRobot system to create a 3D scan of the patient’s torso and plot a surgical path to the affected area. The robot was also deployed to drill precise holes and apply just enough pressure to secure screws in place in the spine and skull.    

The operation was a success and a world-first application of the sophisticated device developed jointly by the hospital and Beijing Tinavi Medical Technologies.  The TiRobot is also the kind of technology that China is trying to promote as part of its “Made in China 2025” blueprint for a hi-tech industrial future.  The plan is meant to help close the China’s technology gap with Western hi-tech prowess and reduce its dependency on imported technology in a range of sectors, including medical robots."

Source: South China Morning Post