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Panda Surgical
Handheld neurosurgical robotics
Surgical robotics & devices
UCL spinout building a handheld robotic platform with wristed instruments as small as 3mm, aiming to bring robotic dexterity to brain and spine surgery without a full robotic tower.
The read
Panda Surgical is developing a handheld robotic system with detachable, wristed instruments as small as 3mm in diameter, intended to give more neurosurgeons access to complex brain and spine procedures without the cost and footprint of a full robotic tower. It was founded in 2022 by CEO Manios Dimitrakakis with UCLH neurosurgeon Hani Marcus and UCL professor Danail Stoyanov.
Its NIHR-backed development programme is working toward the first human trial of handheld robotic technology in brain tumour removal surgery, alongside UCL and UCLH. The company is explicit that its system is pre-market and not yet regulator-approved.
The Bridgehead view
Panda Surgical is an early-stage bet, not a proven vendor, and its own site says as much; it is included here as a live example of the UK's next surgical-robotics generation trying to compete on portability and cost rather than matching Intuitive or CMR feature-for-feature.
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No. The MedTech Index is independent editorial coverage — we track and write up companies we judge genuinely significant in the sector, and inclusion is not for sale. Where shown, coverage of Panda Surgical above is drawn from public reporting, not sponsored content.
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