過去20年來，機器人技術已經被運用在某些特定醫療照護領域，以提升外科手術或是病患復健程序的效率與安全性；近幾年來，隨著機器人技術的演進，再加上醫療照護市場景氣蓬勃，也讓各種手術用、輔助用以及遠距醫療應用的機器人需求水漲船高。

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市場研究機構 ABI Research 的一份最新報告預測，全球醫療用機器人市場規模將由2011年的不到7.9億美元，在2016年成長至13億美元，主力是高端手術用機器人與相關的自動化放射手術(radio-surgical )系統。該機構新興科技市場分析師Larry Fisher表示，機器人技術多年來已經運用在某些特定手術中，隨著病患與醫師對提升醫療效果的期望，醫療用機器人越來越受歡迎，也加入了其它輔助技術與遠距醫療自動化工具。

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雖然采用自動化與輔助技術有助于讓醫療過程與相關活動更簡化、更安全，也更具成本效益，但建置這類技術的初期成本還是一大門檻，尤其是對較小型的醫療機構來說；再加上，專為醫療應用所設計的機器人系統，需要經過復雜的臨床測試與主觀機關審查程序，這也可能使這類產品的定價高昂，上市之路也會十分漫長。

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醫療機器人市場的采購者本來就限于具備特定資格的醫療機構或醫事人員，同時又會受到經濟條件的限制；較小型的醫療機構恐怕無力負擔機器人的采購預算，因為這類系統價格動輒數萬美元，甚至可能高達400萬美元。因此Fisher表示：“醫療用機器人出貨量成長有限，但是由于該類產品的高單價，將使得該市場營收金額在2016年以后達到數十億美元水準。”

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

Julien Happich

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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."