Nantong Robert Medical Technology Co Ltd, based in the Rudong Economic Development Zone, Nantong, Jiangsu province, has developed a surgical robot named V-Face, making it the first and only domestically-produced surgical robot for craniofacial surgery.

Led by Chai Gang, chief physician of the plastic and reconstructive surgery department at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, the robot project was implemented in Rudong in 2017. From its appearance to its programming, every aspect of the robot's development is completely original.

In July 2022, V-Face assisted in its first mandibular angle reconstruction surgery. During the procedure, a deep neural network model accurately segmented the bone-cutting point cloud, reducing the time from the 40 minutes it takes when done manually to just 0.4 seconds.

Currently, the company is conducting a series of digital technology research projects around surgical robots to facilitate the integration of cutting-edge technology with surgical robots. "We will gradually realize the multi-functional execution capability and intelligent decision-making ability of the robot," stated Chai Gang. In the next five to ten years, they hope that China-made surgical robots can reach international-leading levels.

Chai Gang operates the surgical robot V-Face. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]