United Imaging Unveils Another Global First: uAngio AVIVA DSA and uInterv C550 Percutaneous Interventional Surgical Robot

At the 2024 Annual Conference of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association’s Interventional Physicians Branch, held from November 14 to 17, United Imaging Group made a major debut of its “Intelligent Bionic Airborne Robotic DSA uAngio AVIVA and ulnterv C550 Percutaneous Interventional Surgical Robot.”

In traditional percutaneous interventional procedures, physicians rely on CT images to mentally reconstruct the tumor location, followed by multiple trial punctures and CT scans for verification. This approach presents significant clinical challenges, including a lack of real-time, accurate perception of the surgical field and heavy dependence on the operator’s technical expertise. The application of surgical robots can substantially mitigate these difficulties. Consequently, percutaneous puncture surgical robots have become a key focus of industry exploration.

The uInterv C550 percutaneous interventional surgical robot, independently developed by United Imaging Intelligence, a subsidiary of United Imaging Group, marks another global first for the group.This productIts innovation lies in enabling physicians to perform “see-and-puncture” procedures under real-time dynamic CT imaging guidance, while remotely operating surgical robots from a separate control room to complete the entire puncture process, thereby ushering percutaneous interventional clinical diagnosis and treatment into the era of “real-time visualization” with CT.。

uAngio AVIVA is United Imaging’s first high-end ceiling-mounted DSA (Digital Subtraction Angiography) system, equipped with an 8-axis agile ceiling-mounted robotic arm. It offers a motion range of 6.35 m in the cephalocaudal direction, 2.36 m laterally, and 270° rotation around the center. This enables seamless switching between dual access routes without moving the patient, even during complex intraoperative positioning. The system also features uLingo, the world’s first intelligent voice control system, which recognizes various frequently used clinical commands, allowing physicians to operate the DSA via voice commands and thereby enhancing work efficiency.

The complete system comprises an operating room and a control room. Leveraging uReal-time technology with high-speed bidirectional streaming, the robotic system establishes a millisecond-level, bidirectional information highway for real-time CT image transmission and remote control of surgical instruments between the two rooms. This provides precise real-time guidance, enabling physicians to remotely operate puncture devices from outside the CT scanning suite to track tumor displacement in real time and accurately reach the target.

Another “cutting-edge technology” of the robot—uReal-space—leverages generative AI to deconstruct surgeons’ intricate operative maneuvers, enabling 360-degree precise movement and submillimeter-accurate puncture by medical robotic arms. Its advanced haptic sensing technology faithfully recreates the immersive experience of surgery, significantly enhancing procedural safety.

Based on this surgical robot, physicians can control the needle insertion process in real time from the operating room, thereby reducing the number of needle adjustments, shortening puncture time, and enhancing both surgical efficiency and safety.

This release marks another major milestone for United Imaging Group in the field of surgical robots.

In 2021, Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and United Imaging’s subsidiary, United Imaging Intelligence, collaborated on the “R&D Project for a Complete System of 3D Image-Guided Surgical Robots,” marking United Imaging’s formal entry into the surgical robotics sector.

In July 2023, the first surgical robot developed by United Imaging Intelligence, the “United Imaging Neurosurgical Surgical Robot,” completed its multicenter clinical trial. Multiple neurosurgery experts from Tongji Hospital, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Ruijin Hospital, and West China Hospital participated in the trial. A total of nearly 200 trajectories were completed, covering various surgical procedures, all demonstrating high accuracy in skull entry point and target localization. No device-related adverse events or serious adverse events occurred throughout the study.

In April 2024, United Imaging Intelligence officially launched the world’s first intelligent integrated neurosurgical robotic system, uNav-Brain 550.This robot integrates precise positioning with real-time navigation, featuring intelligent analysis and smart sensing capabilities. It provides safer assistance for a variety of neurosurgical stereotactic procedures, empowering higher-quality diagnosis and treatment in neurosurgery.

On July 3, United Imaging’s hip replacement surgery navigation and positioning system received approval from the NMPA, marking United Imaging Healthcare’s formal entry into the orthopedic surgical robotics sector.Two days later, United Imaging Intelligence added nine new patents in a single day, many of which relate to performance enhancements for surgical robots, including improvements in operational stability, precision, and intelligence.

Intelligent surgical robots are becoming another specialized business segment for United Imaging Group, following its medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment, AI imaging, life science instruments, precision medical imaging centers, and medical chips.

Let's refocus our attention on percutaneous puncture surgical robots.

Among the key technologies of percutaneous puncture surgical robots, preoperative medical imaging employs techniques such as CT and MRI to acquire medical images of the lesion site. Path planning and navigation positioning systems constitute another critical technology, enabling localization and navigation based on optical or electromagnetic systems. In 2024, several domestically produced puncture navigation and positioning systems were approved or launched.

January 31,AirmidThe self-developed puncture surgery navigation and positioning system has obtained the NMPA Class III certification. It is applicable to 20 surgical procedures, including lung, liver, and kidney biopsy, microwave ablation, cryoablation, and seed implantation, and is used in departments such as radiology, surgical oncology, pain management, general surgery, thoracic surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and urology.

February 21,RuiTouch TechnologyAnnounced that its first CT-guided lung puncture surgical robot—the Puncture Surgical Navigation and Positioning System RC120—has received NMPA approval for market launch. The system features unique integrated technology combining CT imaging with intelligent sensing, eliminating the need for preoperative marking or registration, thereby maximizing the resolution of puncture accuracy issues.

August 22,Audaz MedicalJupiter Intelligent Soft Tissue Puncture Interventional Navigation Surgical Robot, focusing on minimally invasive cancer therapies, featuring real-time ultrasound navigation and millimeter-level precise puncture, has now entered the pre-market registration clinical trial phase. On November 1, Aoda Zhisheng Medical completed tens of millions of yuan in Series A financing.

September 3,True HealthThe company’s navigation-guided microwave ablation system has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The product’s innovation lies in its integration of navigation and positioning, respiratory tracking, and microwave ablation technologies—a world-first achievement compared to conventional microwave ablation devices.

Previously,SinovisionThe robot-guided CT system launched by United Imaging,Weide Precision MedicineSuccessfully developed percutaneous interventional surgical robots for the lungs and kidneys,Yida Healthpuncture surgery navigation and positioning systems, have greatly promoted the development of domestically produced surgical robots.