By Laura Stephens-Dublin. Updated 7:14 a.m., Monday, July 20, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
About the Author: Laura Stephens-Dublin is a social activist and reporter who has presented on and covered issues in South Africa, Venezuela, China, and the Caribbean. She highlights global South issues, including women’s rights, reparations, and climate action. She is currently in China along with other journalists from the Caribbean who are completing a 4-month journalism fellowship/training in China.
A medical technology company is seeking to redefine the future of surgery through artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robotic systems designed to make complex procedures less invasive, reduce recovery times and expand access to specialist care.
Borns Medical Robotics, headquartered in Chengdu, China, has developed a new generation of surgical robots that the company says could significantly improve outcomes for patients undergoing head and neck surgery, while also lowering costs and making advanced procedures more widely accessible.
At the centre of its innovations is the Transoral Surgical Robot System (TORSS), developed over four years in collaboration with Fudan University’s Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat (EENT) Hospital in Shanghai.
The system was created to overcome one of the greatest challenges in head and neck surgery — navigating the narrow, curved anatomy of the upper airway, where traditional rigid surgical instruments often provide limited access and visibility.
Unlike conventional systems, TORSS uses two flexible robotic instruments that can manoeuvre through spaces as small as three millimetres. Surgeons operate the system from an open console using hand controllers, while high-definition 3D imaging provides enhanced visualisation during procedures.
According to the company, the technology is designed to minimise bleeding and tissue damage, potentially allowing patients to eat and speak within a day of surgery, compared with the extended recovery periods often associated with traditional open operations.
Borns reached a significant clinical milestone in October 2024 when the system was used in what the company describes as the world’s first transoral robotic surgery for a tumour in the glottic region of the larynx.
The procedure, performed on a 53-year-old patient with a recurrent laryngeal tumour, reportedly resulted in less than one millilitre of blood loss, with the patient resuming normal activities the following day.
The company announced another milestone in February 2025 when surgeons in Shanghai remotely performed an AI-assisted, incision-free procedure on a patient in Kashgar, approximately 5,000 kilometres away.
Using AI models and digital twin technology, the system enabled sub-millimetre instrument control despite the long-distance connection.
Lead surgeon Dr Lei Tao said the operation felt no different from performing surgery in the same room as the patient.
“Through seamless human-machine collaboration with the robotic system, it felt like I was performing the surgery locally, with no sense of distance or delay,” he said.
Beyond head and neck procedures, Borns has also developed the Simphoni Surgical Robotic System, a platform designed for laparoscopic surgery.
The system has undergone Phase One clinical trials in India for gallbladder removal and bariatric surgery. According to the company, initial trial results showed all procedures were completed without conversion to open surgery, while patients experienced minimal blood loss and relatively short hospital stays.
Borns said follow-up data also indicated significant weight loss among bariatric surgery patients, along with improvements in obesity-related conditions such as hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea.
Founded in 2016 by robotic scientist Dr Yao Li, who trained at Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and co-founder Dr William Levine, an IEEE Life Fellow, the company operates across China, Europe and the United States.
Borns says it has secured approximately US$18.9 million in funding and holds more than 300 patents worldwide.
A major focus of the company’s strategy is reducing the cost of robotic surgery. By combining AI-driven technology with what it describes as an efficient domestic supply chain, Borns says it has reduced procedure costs to around one-fifth of those associated with comparable systems.
The company believes this could make advanced robotic surgery more accessible in developing countries and underserved communities, while remote surgery could allow specialist surgeons to treat patients in areas where expertise is limited.
Despite its progress, the TORSS system remains in clinical trials and has not yet received regulatory approval for clinical use in China, the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United States.
Borns plans to expand clinical testing as it works towards regulatory approval and further develops the technology.
“Our goal is to provide cancer patients with a new, less invasive treatment solution,” Dr Yao said.
If future clinical trials and regulatory approvals are successful, the company’s AI-powered robotic platforms could mark another significant step in the evolution of precision surgery and remote healthcare.
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