ETcath (robot surgeon)

History

2025: Obtaining Commercial Use Authorization

WeMed's ETcath surgical robot has become the world's first medical device with autonomous surgery to receive official regulatory approval. According to information published in March 2025, the National Medical Products Administration of China issued a permit for the commercial use of the innovative complex.

According to Ecns, a key feature of the ETcath robot is its exceptional accuracy in surgical manipulation. The imaging system of the device can identify lesions with an accuracy of 0.1 mm, which is five times superior to the capabilities of the human eye. Robotic manipulators provide motion control with an error of less than 0.05 mm and control the pressure force to an accuracy of 0.01 Newton.

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Фото: WeMed

The developers have equipped the robot with a built-in database based on artificial intelligence, which contains millions of clinical cases and is able to instantly generate clinical models. This allows the device to analyze medical images instantly, which significantly increases the efficiency and accuracy of surgical interventions.

According to the publication, at the moment the manufacturing company WeMed has not disclosed a complete list of operations for which the new robot can be used. However, given the technical characteristics of the device, it can be assumed its application in microsurgery and other areas that require high accuracy.

The development of the ETcath robot represents a significant breakthrough for the Chinese medical industry and global surgery in general. Autonomous surgical systems with integrated artificial intelligence can significantly reduce the risks of human error during complex operations.^[1]

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