Surgical Robotics

Small Robot Can Explore Lungs

A robot can reach some of the smallest bronchial tubes in the lungs — to take tissue samples or deliver cancer therapy. Known as a magnetic tentacle robot, it measures just 2 mm in diameter.

From the Editor— 2021: Medtech’s ‘Strongest Year Ever’ for VC Financing

2021 definitely hinted at a successful future for medtech, says MDB Editor Sherrie Trigg.

VR System Can Teleoperate Robots

An innovative human-machine interface (HMI) system, which consists of flexible, multi-layered electronic skin, provides both visual and haptic feedback to users. The system can teleoperate the robot to...

New Products: Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West

Touchless switches, biocompatible adhesives, 3D-printing materials, and more.

Show Preview: MD&M West

MD&M West brings together medtech engineers, business leaders, and innovative thinkers to create life-changing medical devices.

Advancements in Robotic Magnetic Navigation Technology Enhance Surgical Processes

See how robots are helping to treat cardiac arrhythmias.

Summer 2021 Resource Guide

Our 2021 Resource Guide shows you the top manufacturers in materials, manufacturing, and a range of other medical-device categories.

Is a Medical Robot Really a Robot?

There are no true "medical robots," says an industry expert. Here's why.

Ultra-Thin, Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors Improve Robotic Arms

The sensors improve the safety and precision of industrial robotic arms.

Surgical Robotics: The Art of Saving Costs with Cables

Learn about the motion-control options that give robot makers a wider stride than their competitors.

Metal and Plastic Microrobots Interlock

The two materials are interlocked as closely as links in a chain.

2020 Product Buyer's Guide

In our 2020 Product Buyer's Guide, you'll find a list of manufacturers in more than a dozen medical-device areas.

Small Innovations Could Help Robotic Surgery Become Big Business

Smaller parts and devices will likely play bigger roles in the advancement of robotic surgery and telesurgery.

Microscale Robotics Help Improve Surgical Control

An origami-inspired miniature robot moves in multiple dimensions to help correct hand tremors and other disturbances during teleoperation. The robot is the size of a tennis ball, weighs...

Robotic Surgery Market Rapidly Expanding

The robotic surgery market is currently in a rapid state of expansion. It has welcomed dozens of new companies in the last decade, and the range of technologies, uses, and applications of robotic...

Getting a Grip: An Innovative Mechanical Controller Design for Robot-Assisted Surgery

The new design combines both pinch and power grips.

Engineers Design Bionic ‘Heart’ for Testing Prosthetic Valves, Other Cardiac Devices

The device made of heart tissue and a robotic pumping system beats like the real thing.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Tracy Campbell Accardi, Vice President, Surgical Robotics Research & Development, Medtronic

See what led Accardi to the medical device industry.

Medical Design Briefs: 2019 Technology Leaders

Learn about 2019's stand-out manufacturers and cutting-edge applications in special metals, coatings, robotics, and more.

First Successful Mind-Controlled Robotic Arm Without Brain Implants

A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, has made a breakthrough in the field of noninvasive robotic device...

Inside Story: Allied Motion

Many medical devices — from robotic surgery to autonomous delivery robots in hospitals, to dialysis equipment — use motion control products to operate. Allied Motion’s long and successful experience as a...

Robotics Motion Control: The Complex Relationship Between Movement and Task

As more medical companies seek robots for increasingly complex tasks such as robotic-assisted surgeries, systems developers tasked with building these robots see an...

Taking Advanced Surgical Robotics Beyond the Surgical Suite

In use for nearly 20 years, robotic surgery utilizing the da Vinci Surgical System has become a standard technique by hospitals in the United States and Europe when performing...

Imaging System Helps Surgeons Remove Tiny Ovarian Tumors

Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed only after it has reached an advanced stage, with many tumors spread throughout the abdomen. Most patients undergo surgery to remove as many of...

New Products & Services: June 2019 Medical Design Briefs

Optical Distance Sensor

A highly accurate optical distance sensor is available from Werth Messtechnik, Giessen, Germany. The Werth Chromatic Focus Point sensor can measure...

An Army of Microrobots Can Wipe Out Dental Plaque

A visit to the dentist typically involves time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant scraping with mechanical tools to remove plaque from teeth. What if, instead, a dentist could deploy a small...

Want a Magnetized Medical Robot? Just 3D Print It

A microrobot can take up to 8 hours to make. With the help of a 3D printer, University of Toronto engineers got the process down to 20 minutes