Technology and engineering at the service of minimally invasive surgery
The growing adoption of minimally invasive techniques has made it essential to develop medical devices that are increasingly precise, stable and integrable, capable of supporting the surgeon without replacing their autonomy. In this scenario, robotic systems are no longer simply technological novelties, but a true evolution in the concept of surgical assistance.
Designing a laparoscopic robot today means reconciling complex clinical requirements with constraints relating to size, safety, reliability, and usability. It is a process that demands an integrated approach and deep synergy between electronic design, embedded engineering and mechanical validation.
Eletech, the lead company of the International Design Centers, R&D division of Elemaster Group, has addressed this engineering challenge by developing, together with one of the major player of the sector, an assistive laparoscopic platform, designed to support the surgeon during highly complex operations, ensuring stable movement, precise control, and ergonomic operation.
System-level thinking: multidisciplinary design
The robot was developed according to a modular and scalable architecture, consisting of three main components:
- a mechatronic laparoscopic arm, responsible for the precise management of the surgical instrument;
- an electronic column, housing the control systems, connections and operator interface;
- an embedded platform, designed to handle real-time data processing and communication between modules.
Each subsystem was defined with attention not only to functional requirements, but also to integration in the operating theatre, maintainability, scalability, and above all, compliance with medical standards.
This design approach underscores a fundamental principle: in a clinical context, technology cannot be an end in itself. It must respond to real clinical needs, be perceived as reliable and safe, and most importantly, be easily adopted by medical and nursing staff.
Embedded engineering: designing system intelligence
The electronic architecture was conceived as a high-performance embedded system, capable of managing signals from motion, force and position sensors, processing them in real time, and translating them into visual feedback and adaptive behaviours.
At the core of the system is a low-latency internal communication network, ensuring continuous interaction between modules without interference, even under external mechanical stress.
All software components were developed and validated in accordance with IEC 62304, the reference standard for the medical software lifecycle. This is not just a regulatory obligation, but a methodological guarantee enabling control over every phase of development, from design to post-deployment maintenance.
Another key feature is the modularity of the user interface: designed to be intuitive, fluid and customisable, it allows the surgeon to adjust operating parameters in real time, based on intraoperative conditions. In this way, the robot becomes an amplifier of human movement, rather than a source of disruption or rigidity.
Rapid prototyping and controlled-environment validation
The transition from design to prototype was carried out using the internal resources of Elemaster Group: from printed circuit board (PCB) design and production to electronic assembly, and 3D printing for validation mock-ups.
The robot underwent a full cycle of functional and environmental testing in the company laboratory, where EMC, climatic, insulation, vibration and shock tests are accredited to International Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017, simulating real surgical conditions: vibrations, thermal excursions, impacts, and prolonged mechanical stress.
Beyond technical validation, ergonomic testing was carried out through interaction trials with clinical mannequins and simulation sessions involving healthcare personnel. The goal was not only to assess physical resilience, but to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the interface, its learning curve, and operator comfort during use.
A device designed for hospital integration
In the medical world, a device does not operate in isolation: it must be able to interface with hospital infrastructure, adapt to variable clinical conditions, and integrate into existing workflow.
For this reason, the laparoscopic robot developed by Eletech was designed to interact with other operating room equipment (monitors, data recorders, management software), ensuring data traceability, secure communication, and future upgradeability.
Even the less visible aspects of the design – such as component sterilisability, ease of disassembly for maintenance, and system scalability – were addressed with engineering rigour and a focus on real clinical application.
Engineering surgical precision: a challenge of intelligence and rigour
In the field of medical robotics, precision and reliability are not features added post-production: they are requirements to be built in from the very beginning, through structured, scalable design aligned with the entire product lifecycle.
With its laparoscopic robot project, Eletech, the lead company of the IDC, R&D division of Elemaster Group, demonstrates how complex engineering can be transformed into functional, clinical solutions, meeting regulatory standards while genuinely improving surgical practice.
A tangible demonstration of how experience in electronics and a systemic R&D vision can guide the development of technologies that are truly useful, combining innovation, methodology and clinical responsibility.