In the clinical application of robotic surgical systems, optimizing thermal management is crucial for improving surgical efficiency and ensuring system reliability. The rapid development of flexible robotics has introduced enhanced flexibility and adaptability in surgical procedures, opening new clinical possibilities while simultaneously imposing more stringent thermal management requirements. Furthermore, thermal management in implantable medical devices has become increasingly critical, demanding advanced optimization strategies to guarantee both safety and operational stability. This study conducted a systematic review and analysis of research indexed in major databases, including Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and CNKI. The investigation focused on three key areas: (1) thermal management optimization in robotic surgical systems, (2) the design and clinical applications of flexible robotic technologies, and (3) thermal management strategies for implantable devices. By synthesizing findings from these domains, the study aimed to identify effective approaches to enhance thermal performance in surgical robotics. Thermal Management: Increasing heat dissipation surface area and optimizing thermal conduction pathways-such as using copper or aluminum materials under cryogenic conditions-significantly improved cooling efficiency. However, while iron/nickel-based alloys and ceramics demonstrated superior thermal stability in high-temperature environments, challenges related to corrosion resistance and long-term durability remained unresolved. Flexible Robotics: Magnetic actuation and smart material-based actuators enhanced reconfigurability, enabling more adaptable surgical interventions. Additionally, probability model-based online learning algorithms facilitated control optimization independent of specific robotic designs. Thermal Performance: Finite-state machine control combined with proportional-integral (PI) strategies effectively minimized temperature gradients to below 0.5°C. Liquid cooling systems proved highly efficient in battery thermal management, though integration complexities and control challenges persisted. The integration of multidisciplinary approaches-spanning materials science, thermodynamic modeling, and intelligent control-has significantly advanced thermal management in robotic surgical systems. Flexible robotics technologies offer safer and more precise surgical solutions, while thermal management strategies for implantable devices can be rigorously validated through computational simulations and experimental studies. Future research should explore novel nanomaterials, dynamic thermal management algorithms, and cross-disciplinary collaborations to further optimize the performance and reliability of robotic surgical systems. These advancements will be pivotal in meeting the growing demands of next-generation surgical robotics and implantable medical technologies.
C et al. (Fri,) studied this question.