Global first: china completes ai-ultrasound robot-guided congenital heart defect closure surgery

On September 5, 2026, the Sixth Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital successfully performed the world's first AI-ultrasound robot-guided congenital heart defect closure surgery. The procedure, conducted by Dr. Zhu Hang's team at the center in collaboration with Tsinghua University researchers, marks a breakthrough in the use of intelligent imaging robots for minimally invasive structural heart disease interventions. The patient, a 48-year-old man with a poorly defined atrial septal defect, was referred to the center after multiple hospitals recommended open-heart surgery. The AI-ultrasound robot system, capable of autonomous ultrasound scanning and real-time 3D cardiac modeling, enabled precise navigation and safe implantation of the closure device, significantly improving the accuracy and safety of the procedure. The system, which combines mechanical arm technology with AI algorithms, autonomously performed imaging acquisition, lesion localization, and real-time guidance, reducing human error and optimizing the surgical process.