EndoQuest: Robot surgeon

History

2025: Product Announcement

In May 2025, EndoQuest Robotics announced the first successful operations using the Endoluminal Surgery Robotic System (ELS), which allows tumours to be removed without external incisions. Two robotic endoscopic submucous dissection procedures were performed as part of the PARADIGM clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the new technology.

The surgeries were performed by Dr. Eric Haas, chief of colorectal surgery at HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center and Houston Methodist Hospital, Robotics and Automation News writes. Procedures were performed on complex lesions of the rectum and sigmoid intestine, including a fibrous formation larger than 5 cm.

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Фото: EndoQuest Robotics

The PARADIGM clinical trial will reach 50 patients at five leading medical centers: USA Brigham and Women's Hospital (), Boston Mayo Clinic (Scottsdale), Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland), AdventHealth (Orlando), and HCA Healthcare (Houston). Once the tests are complete, the company plans to file a De Novo application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration () FDA for official approval to use the ELS system.

The main feature of the new technology is that it combines the flexibility of endoscopy, which allows you to move along the bends of the gastrointestinal tract, with the accuracy of robotic instruments. This combined approach eliminates the need for external incisions on the patient's body and provides direct access to affected tissues through the natural openings of the body.

EndoQuest Chief Medical Officer Todd Wilson emphasized that endoscopic submucous dissection (ESD) is the optimal method for removing early colorectal tumors, but its use in the United States is limited due to the technical complexity of execution. The company's robotic system aims to simplify the procedure by expanding the range of doctors capable of performing ESDs and reducing the number of invasive surgeries, such as colectomies (removing part or all of the colon).^[1]

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