Hozmedical

Hozmedical stands as one of China’s earliest neurosurgical robotics companies, having obtained NMPA certification for its CAS-R-2 frameless stereotactic system in 2002—making it among the first domestically developed surgical robots to receive regulatory approval. The company emerged from the National 863 Program, a collaborative research initiative between Tsinghua University and the PLA Navy General Hospital.

Company Overview

Founded in 2000, Hozmedical has accumulated over two decades of technical expertise in neurosurgical robot development. The company operates as a National 863 Program industrialization base for intelligent robotics, focusing on frameless stereotactic technology for minimally invasive brain surgery.

The founding team includes CEO Wang Rongjun and co-founder Zhang Weigang, who bring 15-20 years of surgical robotics experience. The company’s research originated from joint development with Tsinghua University and military hospitals, resulting in fully indigenous intellectual property for its core technologies.

In April 2020, Hozmedical completed a Series B financing round of approximately CNY 100 million, led by SDIC Fund Management (国投创合) with participation from Lenovo Capital and China Renaissance. This funding supports market expansion, technology platform upgrades, and pipeline development.

Core Products

CAS-R-2 Frameless Stereotactic System

The CAS-R-2 represents Hozmedical’s flagship product—a frameless brain stereotactic surgery system that eliminates the need for traditional head frames. The system comprises surgical navigation software, a five-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, and an open surgical tool platform.

Key specifications include:

• Positioning accuracy: within 0.8mm (compared to ROSA’s 2mm)
• Five degrees of freedom robotic arm
• Frameless stereotactic technology using surface markers
• Full surgical workflow coverage from planning to execution

The system has received NMPA approval four times and is included in China’s medical insurance reimbursement system.

Technology & Innovation

Hozmedical achieved 100% domestic production of core components and technologies, eliminating dependence on foreign suppliers. This provides advantages in maintenance response time, consumable replacement costs, and overall system pricing.

The frameless stereotactic approach allows surgery under local anesthesia, reduces patient trauma and anxiety, and expands eligibility to include infants and patients unsuitable for traditional frame-based procedures. The technology has become a mainstream trend in Chinese neurosurgical practice.

The CAS-R-2 project received the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Class) in 2008, recognizing its contribution to advancing domestic surgical robotics.

Clinical Applications

The CAS-R-2 system supports a broad range of neurosurgical procedures:

• Cerebral hemorrhage evacuation
• Brain abscess drainage
• Stereotactic biopsy
• Intracranial foreign body removal
• Intracranial tumor brachytherapy and chemotherapy capsule implantation
• Deep brain nucleus ablation (for Parkinson’s disease)
• Intracranial electrode implantation (DBS/SEEG)
• Microscope-assisted surgery positioning
• Ventriculoscope-assisted surgery

Market Presence

As of 2020, the CAS-R-2 has been installed in over 100 hospitals across China, including leading institutions such as Huashan Hospital (Fudan University), Xuanwu Hospital, PLA Army General Hospital, Tiantan Puhua Hospital, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.

The system has completed nearly 100,000 clinical procedures with no reported adverse events, demonstrating consistent safety and efficacy. Priced at approximately 30% of the ROSA system and one-tenth of imported alternatives, Hozmedical has enabled neurosurgical robotics adoption in lower-tier hospitals where cost constraints previously prevented access.

Pipeline Development

Hozmedical is expanding beyond neurosurgery with several products in development:

• Portable neurosurgical robot for emergency cerebral hemorrhage procedures
• Abdominal ultrasound-guided interventional robot
• Seven-degree-of-freedom intelligent robotic system
• Planned: spinal neurosurgery, thoracic, and abdominal surgery robots

The company is also developing AI-powered medical imaging analysis and telemedicine capabilities to support technology deployment in grassroots hospitals.

Key Milestones

• 2000: Company founded as National 863 Program industrialization base
• 2002: CAS-R-2 receives first CFDA (now NMPA) certification
• 2008: Awarded National Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Class)
• 2019: Completed Series A financing; installations reach ~100 hospitals
• 2020: Completed ~CNY 100M Series B financing led by SDIC Fund

Frequently Asked Questions

What procedures can the CAS-R-2 perform?

The CAS-R-2 supports frameless stereotactic procedures including brain biopsy, hemorrhage evacuation, DBS electrode implantation for Parkinson’s disease, SEEG electrode placement for epilepsy, and tumor brachytherapy. It covers both emergency procedures like cerebral hemorrhage and complex functional neurosurgery.

How does Hozmedical compare to ROSA?

The CAS-R-2 offers higher positioning accuracy (0.8mm vs 2mm) and broader procedure coverage including common emergency surgeries like cerebral hemorrhage that ROSA does not typically address. The CAS-R-2 is priced at approximately 30% of ROSA, making it accessible to more hospitals.

Is Hozmedical publicly traded?

No, Hozmedical remains a private company. The company completed Series B financing in April 2020 with investors including SDIC Fund Management, Lenovo Capital, and China Renaissance.