Official Achievement Announcement

We officially launch a personalized customization platform for laparoscopic trocars, marking a paradigm shift from mass production to on‑demand manufacturing. Based on patient CT/MRI data and surgical planning software, the platform generates personalized trocar designs and delivers finished products within 72 hours via 3D printing and five‑axis precision machining. Currently offering more than 200 customization options covering dimensions, angles, curvatures, channel configurations and surface functions, the platform has been successfully applied to laparoscopic surgeries for patients with complex anatomical structures, including those with a history of multiple previous abdominal surgeries, morbid obesity and special body types.

R&D Background & Pain Points

Standard‑size laparoscopic trocars fail to meet the needs of all patients. The average abdominal wall thickness of Asian women ranges from 2.1 to 3.5 cm, while that of European men can reach 4.5 to 6 cm, leading to either too‑shallow or too‑deep insertion with one‑size trocars. Adhesions caused by prior surgeries alter anatomical layers, and standard‑angle trocars increase injury risks. Specialized procedures such as caudate lobectomy require instrument channels with custom angles.

Studies show that approximately 23% of patients must compromise when using standard trocars due to anatomical variations, with 7% experiencing increased surgical difficulty as a result. Traditional customization cycles last 6–8 weeks, failing to meet emergency surgical demands.

Core Technological Innovations

• Intelligent Medical Image Analysis and 3D Reconstruction TechnologyDedicated algorithms are developed to automatically identify layers of the abdominal wall (skin, subcutaneous fat, fascia, muscle, peritoneum) from CT data with a precision of 0.3 mm. Combined with tissue elastic modulus data, optimal puncture paths and trocar parameters are calculated. The system processes one patient's data in only 8 minutes, boosting planning efficiency by 20‑fold compared with manual work.
• Additive‑Subtractive Hybrid Manufacturing TechnologyCombining selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing and five‑axis precision milling, complex structure forming and high‑precision surface finishing are achieved on a single platform. The layer thickness of printed titanium‑alloy trocars is controlled at 20 μm with a density of 99.7%. After heat treatment, mechanical properties are comparable to forged parts. Critical sealing surfaces are micro‑milled to achieve a surface roughness of Ra 0.1 μm.
• Virtual Surgical Simulation and Validation PlatformA virtual surgical environment is built based on patient anatomical data, allowing surgeons to simulate trocar insertion preoperatively and evaluate operating space and instrument interference for different designs. Quantitative evaluation indicators are provided, including triangulation angle, instrument interference coefficient and visual field occlusion rate, to assist in selecting the optimal solution.

Working Mechanism

The core value of personalized trocars lies in anatomical adaptability. Dimensionally, trocar length and taper are customized according to abdominal wall thickness, fat distribution and muscle orientation to achieve full‑layer fitting. Angularly, axial angles and lateral curvatures are designed based on target organ positions and surgical approaches to optimize instrument triangulation. Mechanically, trocar stiffness and surface texture are adjusted according to tissue hardness and adhesion status to reduce insertion‑related injuries. For specialized procedures such as hepatectomy, trocars with lateral suction channels can be designed to integrate smoke evacuation and instrument manipulation.

Performance Validation

In a clinical study of 127 complex cases, personalized trocars demonstrated remarkable advantages. Compared with the standard‑trocar group, the first‑attempt puncture success rate rose from 78% to 99%, the median puncture time shortened from 4.2 minutes to 1.8 minutes, and puncture‑related complications decreased from 11 cases to 1. In difficult cholecystectomies, 30° custom‑angled trocars improved the 5‑point satisfaction score for Calot's triangle exposure from 3.2 to 4.6. Post‑operative imaging assessments revealed better alignment of abdominal wall layers in the personalized‑trocar group, with a 67% reduction in fascia defect incidence. Cost‑benefit analysis shows that although personalized trocars cost 2.3‑fold more per unit, total single‑case expenses are reduced by 18% through fewer complications and shorter operative time.

R&D Strategy & Philosophy

We firmly believe that the most suitable instrument is the best instrument, and have built three pillars of personalized medicine: first, data‑driven design - the world's largest abdominal wall anatomy database is established, containing 3200 sets of 3D anatomical data covering different ethnicities, genders, ages and BMIs; second, flexible manufacturing - a modular production line lowers the minimum economic batch size to one unit to realize mass customization; third, clinician‑patient co‑creation - surgeons directly participate in design via a cloud platform, with 57 experts contributing 213 design improvements to date. We have developed an Anatomical Adaptability Index evaluation system to quantify instrument‑patient matching across five dimensions.

Future Outlook

Personalization of laparoscopic trocars will evolve in three directions: first, predictive personalization - genomics and radiomics will be used to predict tissue healing capacity, enabling trocar surfaces designed to promote recovery; second, adaptive personalization - shape‑memory materials and variable‑stiffness structures will be developed for real‑time intra‑operative property adjustment; third, bio‑integrative personalization - growth patterns of patient autologous cells on trocar surfaces will be studied to achieve integration between instruments and tissues.

Our under‑development 4D‑printed trocars will enter clinical trials in 2026, featuring pre‑programmed deformation under body temperature to adapt to intra‑operative anatomical changes. In the longer term, laparoscopic trocars will become "living medical devices" that coordinate tissue repair with patients and ultimately degrade completely without residual foreign bodies.