Translational Research in Medical Robotics – Challenges and Opportunities

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Background

The tremendous clinical success of commercial robotic platforms (e.g., the well-known DaVinci laparoscopic system), is the outcome of continuous efforts in translational research on novel medical devices over the last decades. This pathway usually starts with an initial idea related to a clinical need or challenge and targets its long-term translation into a clinically approved device. Selected milestones along this path predominantly aim at increased technical maturity of existing laboratory demonstrators or proofing feasibility in relevant preclinical/clinical environments involving end users. These steps are essential building blocks for prospective clinical clearance and approval processes.

Although properties of translational roadmaps are comparable among projects, individual contributions to requirements, timelines, resources, costs and procedures may differ significantly. Yet, major challenges in translational research not only arise from securing long-term project funding, but also from holistic consideration of complex and dynamic ethical and regulatory aspects.

The aim of this Research Topic is to engage the clinical/robotics community to present the latest achievements in terms of translation of medical robots to clinical practice. Apart from reporting on cutting-edge clinical technologies, the goal is to define a roadmap for successful clinical translation, addressing clinical opportunities, technical requirements and regulatory challenges for translating robots to practical clinical use.

The outcome will be a timely and up-to-date analysis of technical and clinical challenges that need to be resolved, striving to further consolidate the collaboration between the clinical, engineering and regulatory communities.

This Research Topic particularly encourages authors to present individual and original translational efforts and associated challenges in the domain of medical robotics research. For example, this addresses demonstration of clinical significance or impact with research contributions involving clinical user studies, early preclinical work in phantom/ex vivo scenarios or advanced first-in-animal/human experiments.

Beyond that, the Editors welcome novel concepts on ethical considerations or regulatory affairs supporting translational roadmaps, e.g., challenges of integrating artificial intelligence and medical robotics into clinical workflows. Submitted manuscripts should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, except conference proceedings, which are acceptable if extended with 30% original content.

Keywords: Medical Robotics, Robotic Surgery, Translational Research, User Studies, Animal Trials, First-in-human, Clinical Trials, Clinical Workflow, Regulatory, Ethics

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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