Corindus Vascular Robotics and Mayo Clinic Launch Vascular Robotic Program to Research Physician Safety

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Corindus Vascular Robotics has announced the formation of a joint robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) research and clinical program. This program utilises Corindus’ CorPath System – the only FDA-approved medical device to provide robotic-assisted precision to coronary PCI procedures – whilst protecting hospital employees from occupational radiation exposure and orthopedic stress and strain.

Led by Gurpreet Sandhu, a cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic and director of the Earl Wood Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, the Mayo Clinic research aims to enhance the use of robotic technology to improve patient care as well as provider safety. Physicians are initiating collaborative research projects and using robotic technology to help patients with coronary artery disease.

In April 2015, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology published research highlighting the occupational health hazards of working in interventional laboratories based on research conducted by investigators at Mayo Clinic. Amongst the concerns were potential musculoskeletal and back injuries to providers from wearing lead-lined protective garments in hospital catheterisation laboratories.

“The occupational hazards in this field can be devastating to people. Vascular robotics provide the biggest change to cath lab procedures in 30 years and is transforming the environment by reducing radiation exposure and spinal stresses to physicians and providing robotic precision of interventional device manipulation,” says David Handler, president and CEO of Corindus.

Today, interventional procedures performed in hospital cath labs are a leading source of radiation exposure for medical personnel and has been linked to the development of cataracts, cancer, and brain and thyroid diseases. The CorPath System allows interventional cardiologists to perform procedures in a protected cockpit just a few feet away from the patient bed side. Seated in this radiation-protected cockpit, the physician uses intuitive digital controls to robotically advance guidewires, angioplasty balloons and stents through coronary arteries.