The first commercial procedures using Corindus Vascular Robotics’ CorPath GRX system have been performed following the company’s recent 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
NewYork-Presbyterian (New York City, USA), UC San Diego Health (San Diego, USA), and University of Virginia Health System (Charlottesville, USA) used the system to perform robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention procedures (PCI). Corindus began limited installations of the CorPath GRX system in January 2017 with plans for a full commercial launch in late February.
Manish Parikh, associate director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at NewYork-Presbyterian, states, “We are proud to be among the group of premier hospitals that performed the first cases in the world using the new CorPath GRX system. The enhancements provided by CorPath GRX represent a dramatic improvement in the capabilities in robotic PCI and have the potential to provide significant improvements in patient care.”
Ehtisham Mahmud, Division Chief of UC San Diego Health, Cardiovascular Medicine and Medical Director, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, states, “I am impressed with the additional capabilities of the new GRX system. The redesigned bedside unit, intuitive control console, and especially guide catheter control further facilitate complex PCI procedures. It also enables me to train other interventionalists and fellows in state-of-the-art robotics.”
Michael Ragosta, interventional cardiologist, states, “The…system provides me with complete robotic control during complex PCI procedures. Using CorPath GRX and its radiation-shielded cockpit has enabled me to expand the number of procedures I can perform.”
CorPath GRX offers enhancements to the CorPath platform by adding upgrades designed to increase precision, improve workflow, and extend the capabilities and range of procedures that can be performed robotically. The active guide management feature is intended to allow interventional cardiologists to control the guide catheter, which was not possible with the first-generation technology. Physicians should have independent and simultaneous robotic control of guide catheters, guidewires, and balloon/stent catheters, with one-millimetre advancement, from the cockpit console. The company hopes that precise positioning, allowing physicians to adjust guide catheters during PCI procedures, may expand the use of the system to more complex cases. CorPath GRX also features a completely redesigned bedside unit featuring an extended reach arm and touchscreen display to streamline workflow.
