Medicaroid
hinotori
Chronology
Updated Feb 2025
First Overseas Surgery. Nov 2024.
MHLW approval for Thoracic Surgery. April 17, 2024.
MHLW approval for gastroenterology and gynecology. October 2022.
First non-prototype hinotori™ outside of Japan (Orsi Academy). Sept 21, 2022.
First clinical use. 2020.
Japanese regulatory first approval for the “hinotori™ Surgical Robot System” (Urology). August 2020.
SOT-100 Vercia™” robotic operating table. 2017.
Start development of an endoscopic robot-assisted surgical system. 2015.
Medicaroid Corporation established in Kobe (Japan) as joint investment
between Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., and Sysmex Corporation. Aug 29, 2013.
hinotori™ is the Japanese robot for soft tissue tele-surgery, built by Medicaroid.
Medicaroid, founded in 2013, combines expertise in two critical areas: the industrial robot technology of Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the knowledge and network of Sysmex in the medical field.
The hinotori™ Surgical Robot System obtained the first regulatory approval (Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, MHLW) in 2020, and the same year it was used for the first time in clinical practice.
In 2015 Medicaroid established a base for overseas operations in the US, and in 2020 the company was established for the first time in Europe (Medicaroid Europe GmbH). It has training centers in Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo.
Company message: “The robot to connect with humans, to identify with humans and to be there for humans. Medicaroid was born with a dream to support human lives by human-robot cooperation“.
Medicaroid has secured regulatory approvals in multiple countries, including Singapore in September 2023 and Malaysia in August 2024. These approvals have facilitated the system’s adoption in leading medical institutions across the region. In November 2024, the first overseas surgery (a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy) using the hinotori™ system was successfully performed at Singapore General Hospital.
The basic design of this system is similar to the da Vinci Xi. It features a patient-side cart with four instrument/endoscope arms arranged in a crane-like setup. The instruments are held in a retrograde fashion, reminiscent of the original design of the silver-falcon. Unlike the da Vinci system but similar to the Versius, the arms do not need to be docked with trocars; the pivot point is controlled by software.
The surgeon’s console retains a familiar appearance, featuring a high-definition 3D visor. While new systems like Versius and Hugo favor an open design with a monitor that requires the use of glasses, as a surgeon I personally prefer the immersive experience provided by the visor. The ease of positioning the visor appear to be similar to that of the da Vinci 5.
The master manipulators again follow the original design by Akhil Madhani (year 1998!) and there are also two sets of pedals: clutches on the left and energy controls on the right, following the standard colour code (blue for coagulation and yellow for cutting).
Naturally, we are all excited to test the hinotori™!!!
Links:
Locations:
International Medical Device Alliance 6th floor, 1-6-5
Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
Telephone: +81-(0)78-303-8770 Fax: +81-(0)78-303-8778
MEDICAROID, INC.
145 Rio Robles, Suite 150, San Jose, CA 95134, USA
Medicaroid Europe GmbH.
Wanheimer Straße 90-92, 40468
Düsseldorf, Germany
References:
Hinata N, Yamaguchi R, Kusuhara Y, Kanayama H, Kohjimoto Y, Hara I, Fujisawa M. Hinotori Surgical Robot System, a novel robot-assisted surgical platform: Preclinical and clinical evaluation. Int J Urol. 2022 Oct;29(10):1213-1220. doi: 10.1111/iju.14973.
Miyake H, Fujisawa M. Early experience and future prospects regarding use of newly developed surgical robot system, hinotori, in the field of urologic cancer surgery. Int J Clin Oncol. 2024 Apr 16. doi: 10.1007/s10147-024-02503-5. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38625439.
J Granell
Robotic Surgeon
Prior to commencing my venture into robotic surgery, I had established a firm grounding as an oncologic surgeon. My experience encompassed a wide range of resective and reconstructive procedures, as well as proficiency in minimally invasive surgical techniques and endoscopic surgery. These acquired skills and expertise serve as fundamental pillars for achieving success in robotic surgery.
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