AI Robotics in Medicine

Medtronic signed an MOU with Asan Medical Center to advance and expand the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery platform in Korea through clinical research, education, and technology development; company leaders framed Korea as a strategic hub and AMC as a world-class partner.

The move builds on Hugo’s global momentum—approvals in Europe (2021), Japan (2023), Korea (2024), first FDA clearance in December 2025 for urologic procedures—and deployment across tens of thousands of urologic, gynecologic, and general surgeries in 30+ countries, with a hernia repair study meeting endpoints and a gynecologic study under evaluation.

Watch how AMC’s program and Touch Surgery video capture contribute to evidence and training for the modular, multi-quadrant platform in Korea.

Tracking: Medicine Robotics · AI Medicine · AI Healthcare

Geography: United States, Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Houston, New York City, San Diego, United Kingdom, London, Cambridge (UK), European Union, Germany, Munich, France, Paris, Switzerland, Basel, Zurich, Israel, Tel Aviv, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Japan, Tokyo, South Korea, Seoul, Singapore, Canada, Toronto, Montreal, India, Bengaluru

1. Medtronic, Asan Medical Center sign MOU to advance Hugo in Korea

Medtronic signed a memorandum of understanding with Asan Medical Center to advance and expand robotic-assisted surgery using the Hugo system in Korea.

The collaboration spans clinical research, education, and technology development for the modular, multi-quadrant platform, which offers wristed instruments, 3D visualization, and video capture via the Touch Surgery ecosystem.

Company leaders called Korea a strategic hub and AMC a world-class partner. Hugo secured its first FDA clearance in December 2025 for urologic procedures and previously gained approvals in Europe (2021), Japan (2023), and Korea (2024).

The platform has been used in tens of thousands of urologic, gynecologic, and general surgery procedures across more than 30 countries. Medtronic says a hernia repair study met endpoints, and a gynecologic study is under evaluation.

Key facts:

- Medtronic and Asan Medical Center signed an MOU to advance Hugo in Korea.

- Collaboration covers clinical research, education, and technology development in surgical robotics.

- Hugo received first FDA clearance in December 2025 for urologic procedures.

- Regulatory approvals: Europe 2021, Japan 2023, Korea 2024.

- Hugo used in tens of thousands of procedures across 30-plus countries.

Why it matters: Partnering with a high-volume center of excellence positions Medtronic to accelerate training, data generation, and clinician adoption in a strategically important market.

Embedding Touch Surgery’s video capture alongside AMC’s research and education programs could produce comparative evidence and standardized curricula that broaden use beyond urology.

Watch for published outcomes from the hernia and gynecologic studies, expansion of training programs at AMC, and signs of rising procedural volumes in Korea that could signal broader regional uptake.

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