過(guò)去20年來(lái)，機(jī)器人技術(shù)已經(jīng)被運(yùn)用在某些特定醫(yī)療照護(hù)領(lǐng)域，以提升外科手術(shù)或是病患復(fù)健程序的效率與安全性；近幾年來(lái)，隨著機(jī)器人技術(shù)的演進(jìn)，再加上醫(yī)療照護(hù)市場(chǎng)景氣蓬勃，也讓各種手術(shù)用、輔助用以及遠(yuǎn)距醫(yī)療應(yīng)用的機(jī)器人需求水漲船高。

市場(chǎng)研究機(jī)構(gòu) ABI Research 的一份最新報(bào)告預(yù)測(cè)，全球醫(yī)療用機(jī)器人市場(chǎng)規(guī)模將由2011年的不到7.9億美元，在2016年成長(zhǎng)至13億美元，主力是高端手術(shù)用機(jī)器人與相關(guān)的自動(dòng)化放射手術(shù)(radio-surgical )系統(tǒng)。該機(jī)構(gòu)新興科技市場(chǎng)分析師Larry Fisher表示，機(jī)器人技術(shù)多年來(lái)已經(jīng)運(yùn)用在某些特定手術(shù)中，隨著病患與醫(yī)師對(duì)提升醫(yī)療效果的期望，醫(yī)療用機(jī)器人越來(lái)越受歡迎，也加入了其它輔助技術(shù)與遠(yuǎn)距醫(yī)療自動(dòng)化工具。

雖然采用自動(dòng)化與輔助技術(shù)有助于讓醫(yī)療過(guò)程與相關(guān)活動(dòng)更簡(jiǎn)化、更安全，也更具成本效益，但建置這類(lèi)技術(shù)的初期成本還是一大門(mén)檻，尤其是對(duì)較小型的醫(yī)療機(jī)構(gòu)來(lái)說(shuō)；再加上，專(zhuān)為醫(yī)療應(yīng)用所設(shè)計(jì)的機(jī)器人系統(tǒng)，需要經(jīng)過(guò)復(fù)雜的臨床測(cè)試與主觀機(jī)關(guān)審查程序，這也可能使這類(lèi)產(chǎn)品的定價(jià)高昂，上市之路也會(huì)十分漫長(zhǎng)。

醫(yī)療機(jī)器人市場(chǎng)的采購(gòu)者本來(lái)就限于具備特定資格的醫(yī)療機(jī)構(gòu)或醫(yī)事人員，同時(shí)又會(huì)受到經(jīng)濟(jì)條件的限制；較小型的醫(yī)療機(jī)構(gòu)恐怕無(wú)力負(fù)擔(dān)機(jī)器人的采購(gòu)預(yù)算，因?yàn)檫@類(lèi)系統(tǒng)價(jià)格動(dòng)輒數(shù)萬(wàn)美元，甚至可能高達(dá)400萬(wàn)美元。因此Fisher表示：“醫(yī)療用機(jī)器人出貨量成長(zhǎng)有限，但是由于該類(lèi)產(chǎn)品的高單價(jià)，將使得該市場(chǎng)營(yíng)收金額在2016年以后達(dá)到數(shù)十億美元水準(zhǔn)。”

Medical robots market to approach USD1.3 billion in 2016, says ABI Research

Julien Happich

RoboTIc technology has been used to provide medical care on a limited basis over the past two decades, helping to make surgical procedures and physical rehabilitaTIon more efficient and effecTIve, and safer for paTIents. Recent advances in robots' technological capabilities, combined with the improving economic environment for medical services delivery and payments, are driving increased demand for surgical, assistive and telemedicine-based robots.

A new study by ABI Research, "Healthcare and Medical Robots" foresees the global market for medical robotics growing from just under USD790 million in 2011 to nearly USD1.3 billion in 2016, driven largely by sales of advanced surgical robots and related automated radio-surgical systems.

Larry Fisher, research director of NextGen (ABI Research's emerging technologies research incubator) says, "While robots to assist surgeons have been used on a limited basis for years, the desire of patients and physicians to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of medical treatment has led to a recent surge in the popularity of medical robots, as well as to the introduction of additional assistive technologies and telemedicine-based automation tools."

Despite the benefits of using automated and assistive technologies to make medical procedures and activities easier, safer and more cost-effective, the initial cost of implementing such technologies remains a barrier to entry, particularly for smaller medical organizations. Moreover, robotic systems designed for medical care and treatment require significant clinical testing and trials as part of the regulatory approvals process, which can raise these products' price tags, and make their journey to market a lengthy one.

Moreover, the medical robots market is limited by the number of qualified medical institutions or practitioners that can use these devices. This group is further limited by economics; smaller organizations simply may not be able to afford the up-front capital expenditure associated with robots that can cost anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to more than USD4 million per unit.

As a result, says Fisher, "On a unit basis, the market for medical robots will remain limited. At the same time, however, the high average selling price of most medical robots will help propel revenue to the billion-dollar level and beyond by 2016."