28-Jul-16 Within five years, one in three US surgeries - more than double current levels – is expected to be performed with robotic systems, with surgeons sitting at computer consoles guiding mechanical arms. Companies developing new robots also plan to expand their use in India, China and other emerging markets. [image: Intuitive Surgical / Reuters]

10-Jul-16 In a medical power shift in Asia, China is catching up fast with Korea and even Japan. Although it is still unclear how much money China spends on medical R&D, the country now makes up 20% of the world's total R&D expenditures, second only after the US (27%), according to the 2016 Science & Engineering Indicators report. [image: Korea Times / Jung Min-ho]

05-Jul-16 The da Vinci surgery robot made by US-based Intuitive Surgical performs minimally invasive, complex surgeries safely. The Beijing United Family Hospital & Clinics (BJU) is one of very few domestic hospitals in China with this technology. The hospital performed 100 operations within the first year, especially paediatric urological operations - making BJU a pioneer in paediatric robotic surgery in China. [image: BJU / Global Times]

24-Jun-16 New Zealand’s medical device and health IT companies earned an overall turnover of NZD1.3 bn in 2015. Companies reported an average revenue growth of 29% for medical device and 35% for health IT. The sector is developing a vast range of technologies, with most in the lower risk groups for regulatory approval. [image: New Zealand Health IT]

08-Jun-16 A new global survey of patients and doctors by Philips shows that emerging economies are poised to adopt new technology, led by UAE and China. Australia comes in 4th and the US 6th. At the bottom of the report is Japan, where strict regulation and a lack of oversight have made the healthcare system less efficient. [image: UIG / Getty Images]