THE IMPACT OF MEDICAL ROBOTS: 3D SKIN PRINTING IN SITU AS A PROMISING FUTURE SOLUTION IN TISSUE REGENERATION peter.maitz@sydney.edu.au

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THE IMPACT OF MEDICAL ROBOTS: 3D SKIN PRINTING IN SITU AS A PROMISING FUTURE SOLUTION IN TISSUE REGENERATION

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Australia

Oral only

The term "robot" originates from the Czech word robota, meaning labor, first introduced by Josef and Karel Čapek in 1921. Since its first industrial use in 1958 by General Motors, robotics has revolutionized multiple fields, including deep-sea exploration, space travel, and medicine. In 1985, a robotic arm performed the first stereotactic brain biopsy, paving the way for complex surgical systems. The development of the Da Vinci robot in 2000 marked a milestone, enabling precise, minimally invasive surgery. Building on this, the Verb Surgical System, a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson and Google, integrates robotics, advanced visualization, and AI-driven data analytics, signaling the next wave of intelligent surgical automation.

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While most surgical robots focus on removing tissue—such as in orthopedic and oncologic procedures—the next frontier is regenerative robotic surgery. We present the world’s first robotic 3D bioprinting system capable of fabricating multilayered living skin tissue in situ within a wound. This system integrates high-speed printheads, a computer-controlled robotic arm, and advanced wound visualization for automated task execution. Preclinical studies in animal models with partial- and full-thickness skin defects have demonstrated successful integration of bioprinted tissue. The first human clinical trial is now underway.

This presentation will highlight the potential of robotic soft tissue creation, automation in wound reconstruction, and the future implications for surgical innovation.