Ronovo Surgical Highlights International Clinical Engineering Collaboration: Carina™ Showcases Strengths of Modular Architecture in General Surgery
Recently, renowned general surgery experts, Dr. Eduardo Parra-Davila from the United States and Dr. Armando Melani from Brazil, visited Shanghai to evaluate the innovative robotic surgery technology being developed at Ronovo Surgical. They personally conducted trials on the modular Carina™ RAS Platform, conducting numerous animal and cadaver experiments to thoroughly test and validate clinical performance. Both robotic surgery experts commended the practicality and flexibility of Carina’s modular design in clinical applications, stating that it breaks through limitations of traditional surgical robots and represents a new generation with tremendous global potential to address clinical needs.
With over 5,000 cases of robotic surgery experience, Dr. Parra-Davila is one of the world’s top general surgeons who has trained thousands of surgeons globally in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. In 2023, he experienced Carina, the first modular laparoscopic surgical robot developed in China, for the first time and offered high praise for the system’s effective translation of traditional laparoscopic surgery, which can be very conducive to clinical adoption.
His first trip to trial Carina in animal labs left a lasting impression on Dr. Parra-Davila, especially the system’s innovative modular architecture. He shared his experience with Dr. Melani, a pioneer in minimally invasive surgery education who has led advanced training for over 2,500 surgeons in Latin America and currently serves as the research director for IRCAD Latina America. With tremendous interest, the two surgeons visited Shanghai together to evaluate Carina in a wide spectrum of abdominal procedures.
During the four-day collaboration with Ronovo, Dr. Parra-Davila and Dr. Melani conducted live animal and cadaver labs, performing total colectomy, low anterior resection (LAR), ventral hernia, and other procedures using Carina, which demonstrated the clinical advantages of the modular architecture in these multi-quadrant surgeries. The modular carts distributed around the bedside exhibited a high degree of freedom and flexibility, and the system’s stability empowered both surgeons to operate with ease.
Commenting on his first time trialing Carina, Dr. Melani said, “my experience was very surprising, because it is a modular system that works differently from the systems what we have in Brazil. Carina could improve the cost of the procedures, which is so important in developing countries, by utilizing laparoscopic instruments attached to the robotic arms during the surgery. We can adapt to cost constraints, and we can choose which tool to use depending on the procedure that we are going to do. Cost is the biggest challenge in adoption of robotic surgery, and what surprised me about Carina is the capability and economics of offering more modularity.”
For Ddr. Parra-Davila, the Ronovo team’s spirit and dedication deeply impressed him. He acknowledged the collective effort of everyone working towards a common goal of improving patient lives through their work.
“You can tell that for the people at Ronovo, this is not just a job. They are doing something to make things better for humans. We were silently praying for the cadaver we used today. You don’t see that anywhere else. It is respect, it is dignity. All of it is refreshing to me, and I have traveled all over the world. For me, it is important to feel a connection to the team, and that’s why I want to be here. It’s not just about the robot. It’s about the people who work here, and what they want to achieve."
In this clinical engineering collaboration, the cross-border exchange betwithween Dr. Parra-Davila and Dr. Melani brought valuable experience to the Ronovo team. Working closely with the team, they shared insights from clinical practice, deepening understanding of Carina's application and effectiveness in surgery. This partnership further propelled continuous improvement of the system as well as technological advancements,collectively enhancing the first domestically developed modular surgical robot.
Currently, Carina has advanced to multi-center, multi-specialty clinical trials. Ronovo firmly believes in “innovation, not imitation”, pursuing in parallel independent R&D and global partnerships. By establishing in-depth clinical engineering collaborations with top surgical experts both domestically and internationally, Ronovo remains guided by unmet clinical needs, continuously optimizing the system to provide more precise, streamlined, and intelligent solutions for clinical practice and ultimately contributing to the the field of human health.
