Robocath has announced a first-in-human robotic coronary angioplasty performed at a distance of 1,700 miles spanning two Chinese institutions.
Two interventional cardiologists, Yundai Chen in Beijing and Yining Yang in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, performed the procedure. This world-first, performed entirely using a 5G connection, paves the way for more long-distance endovascular procedures in the future, the company said in a press release.
The cardiologists performed the procedure last July on a 59-year-old patient admitted to the People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Urumqi.
Using Robocath’s first commercial robotic platform—R-One—Chen was able to perform a complete coronary angioplasty, assisted by Yang and his medical team, who were on site with the patient in the cath lab. Technical and verbal communication between the two operators was maintained throughout the procedure thanks to the stability and reliability of the 5G network, eliminating possible latency effects in the imaging and sound system, Robocath said in a press release.
“I feel honoured to have been part of this world-first-in-human procedure in the field of interventional medicine,” said Chen. “Its success opens up the possibility of future long-distance cardiovascular treatment options. China currently has over 2,000 catheterisation laboratories, but that’s still not enough to cover the whole country. With the help of robotics, we believe we can treat more patients faster and more effectively. Another advantage is that the robot can position the stent with exceptional accuracy. I’m excited to continue this partnership, which I believe marks the start of a new era for treatment in our field.”
“This procedure shows the world the feasibility and safety of coronary angioplasty at very great distances, thanks to a perfectly stable and controlled communication system,” added Yang. “The team at the People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is extremely proud to have played a part in this phenomenal technological achievement, which has the potential to revolutionise interventional medicine.”
“At Robocath, we are committed to developing smart connected robotic platforms that improve the treatment of cardiovascular diseases—the leading cause of death worldwide,” stated Lucien Goffart, CEO at Robocath. “Currently, these emergencies, including stroke, can remain untreated within a reasonable timeframe due to geographical remoteness and the small number of dedicated care centers.
“Robotic solutions remove these barriers entirely and ensure patients are treated quickly and to a very high standard by medical experts. From a specialist medical centre, physicians will be able to perform operations on patients located in outlying emergency units. There are still several challenges to face before this type of treatment can be widely adopted, particularly in terms of organisation and legal liability. However, we are convinced that the future of interventional medicine lies with robotics. Its remote connection module will considerably accelerate expansion, particularly in vast territories such as China.”
“This procedure marks the fulfilment of an ambition we set ourselves when we founded Robocath 15 years ago; to guarantee equal access to care for all, in all locations,” said Philippe Bencteux, president and founder of Robocath. “I’m proud to see the success of this procedure—a world-first—which was made possible thanks to Cathbot, our joint-venture based in China. Robotic technology responds directly to the challenges faced by modern public healthcare systems and will enable the greatest possible number of patients to access the best treatment available. As with other breakthroughs, I am convinced that public authorities will rise to this technological challenge and initiate the necessary changes, given the major societal benefit that long-distance robotic treatment of vascular emergencies represents today.”
