XCath has announced the successful completion of a “first-of-its-kind” live telerobotic trial for stroke treatment, which took place between Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Seoul, South Korea at Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW; 13–15 May, Abu Dhabi, UAE).
In the live demonstration, Vitor Mendes Pereira (St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada) performed a mechanical thrombectomy procedure from Abu Dhabi on a simulated patient in South Korea. Pereira completed the procedure to remove a blood clot in the brain in a matter of minutes, reporting low latency and a reliable connection to the robotic device in South Korea.
The live simulated thrombectomy case aimed to demonstrate that XCath’s remote setup could overcome latency and overall performance questions associated with remote procedures. Pereira performed the procedure using a robotic controller located in Abu Dhabi, while the silicone model and the bedside unit were situated in South Korea, 4,318 miles away. The procedure utilised neurovascular devices from Stryker, including the AXS Infinity LS, Trevo Trakb21 and Trevo NXT.
“This successful telerobotic demonstration marks a key validation of our platform’s potential to improve treatment of emergent conditions like stroke,” said Eduardo Fonseca, chief executive officer of XCath. “As one of the leading advocates for telerobotic technology, Dr Pereira was able to demonstrate how our technology could be used to transform patients’ lives across the globe.”
In a press release, XCath claims that—by creating remote treatment options that connect patients to stroke specialists, regardless of geographic location—telerobotic interventions can save precious time, and limit mortality and morbidity rates. The company says its platform can also expand treatment options and improve patient outcomes for a range of acute neurovascular conditions.
“Today, we witnessed a groundbreaking moment with the world’s first telerobotic manual thrombectomy on a model, from Abu Dhabi to Seoul,” said Intuitive Surgical founder Fred Moll. “This pioneering achievement is not just a first, but a crucial stepping stone towards regulatory and industry support, ultimately leading to widespread acceptance and adoption. In the field of endovascular care, particularly in stroke treatment where every minute counts, this technology holds transformative potential.”
