Intelligent Ultrasound Robot Scanning Diagnosis System
The Intelligent Ultrasound Robot Scanning Diagnosis System developed by CobotSys represents the first and only ultrasound robot in China to receive approval through NMPA’s innovative medical device green channel. The system combines collaborative robot technology with AI-powered image analysis to enable both remote-controlled and fully autonomous ultrasound examinations across seven organ systems.
Product Overview
China faces a significant shortage of ultrasound physicians, with only approximately 200,000 practitioners serving a market that conducts 2 billion ultrasound examinations annually—a gap of some 150,000 physicians. This shortage is particularly acute in primary healthcare settings where experienced ultrasonographers are scarce.
CobotSys addressed this challenge by developing a system that fundamentally transforms ultrasound from a physician-dependent procedure to a human-machine collaborative process. The robot can operate in two modes: remote teleoperation, where a specialist controls the probe from any location via 5G connectivity, and autonomous scanning, where AI algorithms guide the examination independently.
Key Features
Designed for primary care settings facing physician shortages, CobotSys’s ultrasound robot achieves 97% diagnostic concordance across seven organ systems through autonomous or 5G-teleoperated scanning.
- Autonomous Scanning: The robot executes standardized ultrasound protocols independently, eliminating the need for skilled operator presence at the patient site
- AI-Powered Diagnosis: Real-time lesion detection and classification with automatic report generation within seconds of scan completion
- Remote Teleoperation: Specialists can control probe positioning and pressure from remote locations with force feedback
- Multi-Patient Switching: Support for one expert to serve multiple patient terminals through direct connection switching
- Seven-Organ Coverage: Validated scanning protocols for thyroid, carotid artery, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and kidney
Technical Specifications
Designed for primary care and telemedicine, CobotSys’s system uses an Elite collaborative robot with linear and convex probes across seven organs, validated in 30+ hospitals over ~10,000 cases.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Robot Platform | Elite Collaborative Robot |
| Probe Types | L13-3N Linear (superficial), C5-1s Convex (abdominal) |
| Scanning Organs | 7 (thyroid, carotid, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidney) |
| Diagnostic Concordance | 97% (vs. attending physician) |
| Clinical Validation | 30+ hospitals, ~10,000 cases |
| Connectivity | 5G/4G/Wired network |
| Control Modes | Autonomous / Remote Teleoperation |
Clinical Applications
The system addresses multiple clinical scenarios:
Primary Care Enhancement: Enables community health centers and rural clinics to offer specialist-level ultrasound services without requiring on-site expertise
Screening Programs: Automated thyroid and abdominal ultrasound screening with consistent, standardized protocols reduces variability and increases throughput
Infectious Disease Settings: During epidemics, the robot enables ultrasound examination while maintaining physical separation between healthcare workers and patients
Specialist Consultation: Remote control functionality allows tertiary hospital experts to directly examine patients at distant facilities rather than relying on image review alone
Clinical deployment at institutions including Tongji Hospital demonstrated the system’s capability to generate professional diagnostic reports simultaneously with scan completion, substantially reducing examination turnaround time.
Regulatory Status
| Region | Status | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (NMPA) | Approved | 2023-12 | Class III, Reg. No. 20233061635 |
| EU (CE) | Not Applied | - | - |
| USA (FDA) | Not Applied | - | - |
The product entered NMPA’s innovative medical device special approval pathway, becoming the only ultrasound robot to receive this designation in China. A next-generation multi-organ autonomous ultrasound robot was accepted into the innovation green channel in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
What examinations can the CobotSys ultrasound robot perform?
The system is validated for ultrasound examination of seven organ systems: thyroid, carotid artery, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and kidney. Using the linear probe (L13-3N), it examines superficial structures including thyroid and peripheral vessels. The convex probe (C5-1s) enables abdominal organ scanning.
How accurate is the AI diagnosis compared to physicians?
Clinical validation across more than 30 hospitals and approximately 10,000 cases demonstrated 97% concordance between the robot’s AI-generated diagnoses and assessments made by attending physicians. This places the system’s diagnostic capability at a level comparable to mid-career ultrasonographers.
Can remote specialists actually control the ultrasound probe?
Yes. The teleoperation mode transmits the specialist’s hand movements to the patient-side robot with force feedback, allowing precise control of probe position, angle, and pressure. The system operates over 5G networks without geographic distance limitations, enabling examinations across provinces or even internationally.
Sources
Publicly available references used for the data on this page. See data methodology for verification standards.