Yibowan Medical Enters the Laparoscopic Surgical Robot Market with a Hybrid Multi- and Single-Port Robotic System
As another lung lobe was removed from the thoracic cavity of the experimental animal and dropped into the kidney dish,Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at a Top-Tier (Grade 3A) Hospital in ShanghaiRise from the open operating position and remove3DEyeglassesExclaimed，“It’s time to believe that domestic enterprises can stand on the shoulders of giants，Develop a product that meets the surgical needs of Chinese physicians and is viable for widespread implementation.SurgeryIt's a robot!”。
At this moment, Dr. Li Yuanxun, founder of Yibowan Medical Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yibowan”), turned excitedly to the R&D team in the animal laboratory and announced: “After two years of refinement, our reduced-port dual-arm laparoscopic robot has made a resounding entry into the field! This novel, easily promotable surgical robot—featuring a micro-configuration, fewer incisions, expanded operational space, and a full suite of compatible consumables—has successfully completed phased animal trials!”
Animal Testing Site
Although Yibaiwan was established in 2022, when competition in the surgical robotics sector had already reached a fever pitch, the company garnered favor from multiple professional investment institutions right from its inception, withAngel Round Investment from Jinpu Health and Yuanyi CapitalThis has greatly boosted the confidence of the founding team, which possesses both an international perspective and experience, as well as a deep understanding of domestic clinical practices and market demands.
Dr. Li Yuanxun previously worked for a global medical device giant and boasts over twenty years of experience in the full-lifecycle research, development, and management of innovative medical products. Dr. Li has successfully launched numerous products in the fields of cardiac rhythm management, energy-based surgery, and orthopedics, earning widespread acclaim. He co-founded Yibaiwan together with two system engineers and active device experts who each possess more than ten years of robotics R&D experience at multinational corporations.
As a senior expert in the medical device industry with over 20 years of experience, his clear commercialization strategy and proven ability to deliver products have once again attracted the attention of investors.In 2023, Legend Capital and Shengjing Jiacheng Investment decisively entered the fray to complete the Series A financing round, while existing shareholder Yuanyi Capital continued to increase its investment.
Dr. Li remarked modestly, “We are not a robotics company born to chase hot trends. We hold the industry in high regard and recognize that the da Vinci Surgical System, as an industry benchmark, has demonstrated over 20 years that robotic technology indeed advances surgical practice, delivering clear clinical benefits. The sustained and steady growth in both installed base and surgical volume further underscores the commercial value brought by this new technology.”
“Meanwhile，We are also acutely aware that different countries have varying clinical practices, patient affordability, and commercialization pathways, particularly in thoracic surgeryDepartmentFieldThere is still vast market potential, eagerly awaiting surgical robots to make their mark.All of this has been demonstrated in our engineering prototypes and animal experiments.ObtainFully validated.”Dr. Li continued,
In response to the clinical performance of the da Vinci multi-port robotic system—capable of handling complex surgeries but associated with multiple incisions, low preoperative preparation efficiency, and mutual interference among external arms during surgery—as well as the single-port robotic system’s limitations, including minimal invasiveness but poor usability and insufficient tissue accessibility, Yibowan has decided to develop a product that addresses the unmet clinical needs currently left by the da Vinci system.
With nearly 25 years of vision and experience in market expansion and development in China for multinational corporations, Dr. Li Yuanxun understands what kinds of products are preferred by physicians, affordable for hospitals, and accessible to patients under the national policy promoting the domestic substitution of high-value medical devices.
“Cost Reduction through Design”—Dr. Li stated, “The safety of medical devices is paramount. While conventional manufacturing cost reduction is one approach, it is more important to achieve source-level cost savings through design by closely aligning with clinical and market needs to identify more effective and economical solutions, rather than merely relying on ‘imitation’ to reduce manufacturing costs. In short, we should retain and optimize ‘essential’ designs that meet the rigid demands of local Chinese patients and healthcare providers, while eliminating high-cost ‘redundant’ features.”
Dr. Li’s successive product launches have consistently embodied the principle of cost reduction through design, benefiting millions of patients both in China and abroad. As early as 2006, Dr. Li served as the lead for Medtronic’s “2010 Cardiac Pacemaker Programmer,” a device specially developed to align with China’s local conditions, where he guided his team in making strategic trade-offs regarding product features and technical pathways.Ultimately, the cost of this programmer launched in the Chinese market was reduced to one-fourth that of similar imported products.
This thoroughly validated “design-for-cost-reduction” R&D philosophy is also reflected in the product design of Yibowan. After more than two years of intensive technological breakthroughs and three rounds of iterative system-functional prototype design, the PAI3000 laparoscopic surgical robot is now poised for launch.
The PAI3000 features a streamlined dual-arm configuration, facilitating easy intercostal access and maximizing bedside workspace. Its master-slave control system for the robotic arms ensures precise instrument positioning and stability. The unique Eagle Eye system enhances the positioning accuracy of the external arms through an auto-follow function, significantly improving robotic deployment efficiency and precision, substantially reducing preoperative preparation time, and enhancing ease of use.
To date, multiple domestically produced surgical robots have been successively approved in China. However, based on their approved indications and publicly available bid-winning data, their commercialization pace has been less than satisfactory. Against this backdrop,Dr. Li Yuanxun presented the “Yibaiwan Protocol.”
He stated, “It is evident that, beyond machine sales and maintenance services, the largest and most sustainable component of da Vinci’s profitability—accounting for over 60% of its profits—derives from disposable surgical instruments and consumables compatible with its robotic systems.”In today’s era, where cost reduction and efficiency improvement are prioritized, only those who possess high-reliability robots and compatible consumables will emerge as the ultimate winners.。”
The da Vinci single-port surgical robot requires fewer high-value disposable instruments and consumables; however, its configuration poorly supports staplers and large-vessel sealers, which to some extent limits the clinical application and market adoption of single-port surgical robots.
Leveraging the founding team’s decades of accumulated experience in cutting-edge R&D, along with its advantages in globally leading talent and technological reserves, Yibaiwan has developed traditional robotic ancillary instruments characterized by stable performance, higher reliability, and high reusability. Meanwhile, the company is actively developing a distinctive, comprehensive portfolio of energy-based surgical devices, including fully articulated staplers, large-vessel sealers, bipolar devices with ultrasonic scalpel functionality, and cryo-electrocautery hooks.
“We believe this will be a key factor in breaking the dominance of importers in the market and efficiently advancing the commercialization of domestically produced robots,” Dr. Li continued.
Multiple animal studies have validated the rationality of the external arm configuration of Yibowan’s first-generation reduced-port dual-arm surgical robot, the PAI3000, as well as the precision and stability of its bedside robotic arms and master–slave control system. The PAI3000 can efficiently perform intraoperative procedures such as retraction and exposure, dissection and cutting, and suturing and hemostasis, thereby improving surgical efficiency.
The lead surgeon stated, “The dual-arm structure of the Yibaiwan reduced-port bilateral-arm surgical robot system provides greater space at the bedside, facilitating more convenient bedside operations. The system offers strong controllability, high operational smoothness, and stable performance, making it particularly well-suited for delicate maneuvers in confined spaces. Its handling experience is excellent and closely resembles that of the da Vinci Surgical System.”
Regarding the open-style main console, the director commented, “It is incredibly ergonomic. We no longer have to confine our heads inside a black box, which significantly alleviates the lead surgeon’s fatigue and neck discomfort while preserving their established operational habits. During surgery, the lead surgeon enjoys a wide field of view as before, facilitating better overall control and enhancing procedural safety.”
The director specifically highlighted the instruments compatible with the robotic system, remarking: “The standard instruments supplied with the robotic system are of high quality and deliver stable, reliable performance. Notably, the specialized instruments offer distinct advantages: the super-cooled electric hook minimizes lateral thermal injury, thereby enhancing operational safety and improving surgical efficiency; the fully articulated stapler can more easily reach target tissues at clinically required angles, further boosting surgical efficiency. These instruments provide significant clinical convenience, reduce surgical difficulty, and enhance both surgical safety and efficiency.”
According to reports, Yibowan is about to initiate type testing and multi-indication clinical trials.
As Dr. Li Yuanxun, the founder, stated: “We believe in accumulating strength for a powerful breakthrough and progressing steadily to go far. With reverence and dedication to continuous improvement, our team is confident and capable of expanding our product from thoracic surgery to general practice, creating high-quality products with genuine clinical value, and achieving breakthroughs in domestically produced, high-quality laparoscopic minimally invasive robotic systems.”。”
Yibaiwan has established a systematic and comprehensive portfolio of independent intellectual property rights in core areas, including robotic arm configuration, surgical approaches and instrument deployment, instrument wrist and elbow joints, and surgical/electrosurgical instruments.
When discussing the name “Yibaiwan,” Dr. Li Yuanxun explained:“Yi” embodies the aspiration for our team to pursue the artisan spirit of unwavering dedication and relentless perfection; “Bai” signifies our vision for a future-proof enterprise, enduring and evergreen like pine and cypress; “Wan” reflects our expectation to attract top talent and accumulate wealth.
Robotic surgical platforms have become a vital component of medical technology innovation, representing the highest level of contemporary surgical practice worldwide and embodying the future of surgery.“To achieve breakthroughs in a highly competitive arena, we must always uphold the craftsmanship embodied by ‘Yibowan,’ integrating cutting-edge technology and ingenious engineering with clinical practices that are both expanding and in urgent need of improvement. Only by developing products that hold genuine clinical significance can we emerge as leaders in the multi-billion-dollar market for laparoscopic minimally invasive surgical robots,” said Dr. Li at the conclusion of the interview.