Concentric Surgical Showcases Sentire® Robotic System at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association

This annual conference was hosted by the Chinese Medical Association and its Branch of Surgery, and co-organized by Peking Union Medical College Hospital and other institutions. At the opening ceremony, authoritative experts in the field of surgery and industry leaders gathered together. Professor Zhang Zhongtao, Chairman of the Branch of Surgery of the Chinese Medical Association, provided an in-depth review of the development history of surgery in China and systematically elaborated on the mission and responsibilities of surgeons in the new era.The conference emphasized that, in the face of opportunities and challenges in disciplinary development in the new era, surgeons must firmly establish and practice the spirit of “inheritance, innovation, standardization, and improvement.” This entails inheriting the rigorous academic style and solid fundamental skills of the older generation of surgeons, while daring to break boundaries and embrace new technologies. Furthermore, medical quality and standardized diagnosis and treatment must be integrated throughout all practices. By promoting homogeneous training and technical assistance to facilitate the downward flow of high-quality medical resources, we can steadily achieve a comprehensive enhancement of the overall treatment capabilities in surgery.

During the conference, the congress comprehensively integrated diverse modes of academic exchange, including keynote speeches, frontier forums organized by specialized subgroups, surgical video critiques, and debates on challenging cases. It systematically reviewed the latest evidence-based medical findings and technical standards in fields such as gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and pancreatic, colorectal, thyroid, vascular, and hernia and abdominal wall surgery. Multiple experts pointed out during the exchanges that given the complexity of general surgical procedures and the extensive anatomical coverage involved, the introduction and promotion of new medical equipment, such as minimally invasive robotic systems, must adhere to standardization as the guide and prioritize the improvement of clinical quality and efficiency. This raises more pragmatic and profound expectations for the system stability, operational flexibility, and accessibility of domestically produced high-end medical devices.

As an endoscopic surgical robot system that has efficiently supported a variety of complex and challenging procedures in clinical practice, Sentire by Cornerstone Robotics^®Possesses a profound understanding of the anatomical pain points in deep general surgery, backed by solid hands-on experience.Previously, the system has provided stable clinical support for classic and cutting-edge minimally invasive general surgery procedures, including radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, radical colorectectomy for colorectal cancer, low and ultra-low anterior resection for rectal cancer, complex hernia repair, and gasless transaxillary radical thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. In the highly challenging hepatobiliary and pancreatic field, it has further successfully performed representative complex procedures, such as difficult resection of liver segment S7, resection of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver, anatomical hepatectomy, and pancreaticoduodenectomy.From meticulous perigastric lymph node dissection and precise dissection with nerve preservation in the narrow pelvic space, to the identification of tumor boundaries in deep hepatic regions (such as segment S7) using fluorescence navigation, followed by liver transection and meticulous anatomical dissection of intrahepatic vessels—all while ensuring R0 resection margins—As dissection progresses deeper, the operative space continues to narrow. This not only imposes higher demands on the surgeon’s spatial awareness, precision in micro-manipulation, and stability against fatigue, but also further highlights the clinical value of deep synergy among clear imaging, flexible manipulation, and system reliability.

At the booth experience area of this annual conference, the collaborative performance derived from high-difficulty real-world procedures was fully replicated at the main control console: Sentire by Cornerstone^®Deeply integrates proprietary high-definition stereoscopic imaging, smooth master-slave control, and dexterous minimally invasive instruments. The system’s high-definition stereoscopic vision delivers realistic depth perception and color reproduction with low visual fatigue, while simultaneous shadow-free fluorescence imaging assists surgeons in clearly identifying anatomical boundaries. The master-slave control offers sensitive and stable response, eliminating mechanical backlash and latency, thereby facilitating smoother deep dissection and suturing/knot-tying. Coupled with an array of ultra-fine minimally invasive instruments featuring multi-degree-of-freedom wristed articulation, the system significantly reduces mechanical arm interference in confined spaces while maintaining robust operational force, truly achieving an integrated, seamless experience where “vision, hand, and instrument” move in perfect synchrony.

During the conference, Professor Li Jingdong from North Sichuan Medical College, Professor Yu Peiwu from the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Professor Li Taiyuan from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Professor Yu Decai from Gulou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School, Professor Fan Youben from Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Professor Gao Xiang from Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Professor Zhou Bin from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Professor Shen Xian from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Professor Zhang Wanguang from Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Li Bo from the Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Professor Zhang Xuan from the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, and Professor Yin Dalong from the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China successively visited the Cornerstone Robotics booth for hands-on trial experiences. After completing the live device trials, multiple experts unanimously expressed that Sentire^®It achieves efficient synergy among "vision, hands, and instruments," delivering not only realistic and natural visualization and smooth, stable manipulation, but also exceptional operational precision with 5mm instruments that retain the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. This fully meets the dual demands of complex general surgical procedures for precise radical resection and functional preservation. Meanwhile, Sentire^®The ergonomic cockpit helps reduce fatigue during long surgeries by optimizing the surgeon’s sitting posture, line of sight, and operational stance. Its meticulously engineered details, tailored to the clinical practices of Chinese surgeons, received unanimous acclaim from on-site experts.

These seemingly minor engineering details ultimately point to the same core objective: aligning robotic technology more closely with the practical operational needs of surgeons, thereby ensuring that technological capabilities are effectively translated into tangible support in clinical practice.This refinement, rooted in clinical practice, continues to be validated in daily operations: Sentire by Cornerstone^®It has already entered routine, high-frequency surgical application at multiple medical institutions, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong Hospital and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, demonstrating stable performance in continuous, high-intensity, complex general surgery procedures, thereby exhibiting clinical applicability and reliable quality proven in real-world practice.

The value of an academic conference lies not only in the demonstration of technological achievements but also in establishing authentic and sustained connections between clinical needs and innovative capabilities. Each hands-on trial and feedback exchange at the exhibition booth enables Cornerstone Robotics to gain a clearer understanding of frontline surgeons’ genuine demands for stable, reliable, and user-friendly minimally invasive surgical equipment. Looking ahead, Cornerstone Robotics will continue to be driven by clinical needs, diligently advancing underlying technology iterations and providing comprehensive lifecycle service support. The company is committed to steadily promoting the standardized application and widespread accessibility of high-quality minimally invasive surgical robots, empowering the high-quality development of surgery with pragmatic and reliable innovations, and safeguarding the life and health of more patients.