Recently, Sightways Robotics, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Sightways Robotics”) announced that its self-developed EndoNimble™ Dual-Arm Surgical Robotic System has initiated human clinical research applications at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital.

The study aims to explore its clinical value in the minimally invasive treatment of early-stage gastrointestinal tumors and precancerous lesions. This marks a key breakthrough for domestically developed natural orifice surgical robots in the field of early gastrointestinal cancer treatment.

Innovative Dual-Arm Design Addresses Challenges of Conventional ESD

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is currently the gold standard for the treatment of early gastrointestinal tumors and precancerous lesions. During conventional ESD procedures, the lack of stable tissue traction and insufficient exposure of the submucosal layer not only increase procedural difficulty and prolong the learning curve, but also raise the risk of complications such as perforation and bleeding. The procedure is highly dependent on operator experience, which to some extent limits its wider clinical adoption.

The EndoNimble™ Dual-Arm Surgical Robotic System developed by Sightways Robotics simulates surgeons’ bimanual operation through dual flexible robotic arms. Featuring a biomimetic “crab-claw” design, it establishes a “visualization–traction–dissection” triangular operating field, enabling coordinated “left-hand traction and right-hand dissection,” thereby elevating endoscopic surgery to a “laparoscopic-like” mode of operation.

At the same time, the dual flexible instrument arms allow real-time, dynamic adjustment of mucosal traction points during the procedure, enabling full exposure of the submucosal field and precise manipulation of target tissues, demonstrating significant clinical advantages.

7-DoF Biomimetic Instruments — Bimanual Coordination with Adequate Visualization

The surgical instruments adopt a proprietary continuum structure design. The biomimetic flexible instrument arms provide a total of seven degrees of freedom in both position and orientation, simulating surgeons’ bimanual operation. This allows operators to simultaneously perform tissue traction and mucosal dissection within the endoscopic field, overcoming the limitations of traditional single-channel endoscopic instruments.

Proprietary Structural Design — Establishing a Stable Triangular Operating Field

The system adopts a self-developed structural design to achieve a rational layout of the visualization channel and dual instrument channels within the limited space of the gastrointestinal tract, forming a stable “visualization–traction–dissection” triangular operating field between the traction instrument, dissection instrument, and endoscopic view.

Unlike conventional ESD, where instruments operate coaxially with the endoscope, this system enables coordinated “left-hand traction and right-hand dissection,” improving submucosal exposure conditions, expanding the operating space, and further reducing the risks of bleeding and perforation.

Significantly Reduced Learning Curve — Compatible with Conventional ESD Practices

The surgical robotic system of Sightways Robotics is designed based on human factors engineering, supporting single-operator master–slave teleoperation to independently complete procedures, significantly shortening the learning curve. Beginners can become proficient after approximately 20 training sessions.

Meanwhile, the system is equipped with a 2.8 mm instrument channel, compatible with a variety of conventional ESD instruments, allowing physicians to retain their existing surgical habits.

Dual-Arm Endoluminal Surgical Robot

Clinical Application Officially Launched in Shanghai

With the strong support of Professor Wan Xinjian’s team from the Department of Gastroenterology and Professor Hu Haiyan from the Clinical Research Ward at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, the clinical application project of the dual-arm endoluminal surgical robot recently completed its first human case.

During the procedure, Director Dong Zhixia utilized the Sightways Robotics endoluminal surgical robot. Through coordinated dual-arm operation, the system enabled precise lesion marking and incision. Based on intraoperative visualization, traction points were adjusted multiple times, allowing the lesion to be clearly exposed layer by layer and providing a wider surgical field. The submucosal dissection was successfully completed with efficient and smooth operation throughout the procedure.

The lesion measured 2 × 3 cm, and the total procedure time was only 18 minutes, achieving complete resection of the target lesion. Compared with conventional ESD, this technology enables effective tissue traction through dual robotic arms, clearer surgical field exposure, and more precise dissection, with advantages including minimal trauma and faster recovery. The patient is currently recovering well and has entered the follow-up stage.

This successful collaboration with Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital represents a key advancement in the human clinical research of Sightways Robotics. In the future, the company will continue to collaborate with leading medical centers both domestically and internationally to advance clinical studies in more regions, helping to improve the overall level of ultra-minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment for early gastrointestinal cancer in China.

Traditional ESD procedures place extremely high technical demands on operators, particularly in the exposure and traction of the submucosal layer, where bottlenecks exist. The steep learning curve is not conducive to the large-scale adoption of ESD. With the application of the EndoNimble flexible dual-arm robot, precise dual-arm coordination enables true bimanual operation. It allows stable tissue traction and clear layer separation similar to open surgery, significantly improving dissection efficiency and safety while reducing the risks of intraoperative perforation and bleeding. We look forward to this technology benefiting more patients as soon as possible.

— Professor Wan Xinjian, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital

The successful initiation of this human clinical study not only validates the potential of our flexible dual-arm technology platform in addressing clinical pain points, but also confirms our development philosophy of “innovation driven by clinical needs.” We will continue to focus on the field of natural orifice robotic systems, accelerate clinical trials and iterative upgrades, and strive to make more precise and safer surgical robots widely accessible through technological advancement, providing better solutions for early gastrointestinal cancer treatment to physicians and patients worldwide.

— Wang Zhen, Founder of Sightways Robotics, Inc.

March 23, 2026, MedChina