XCath, an early-stage medical device company dedicated to expanding endovascular treatment modalities through its smart steerable guidewires and robotic systems, successfully completed a first-of-its-kind live telerobotic trial for stroke treatment between Abu Dhabi and South Korea at Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW).
In the live demonstration, Vitor Mendes Pereira, M.D., performed a mechanical thrombectomy procedure from Abu Dhabi on a simulated patient in South Korea. Dr. 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.
“This successful telerobotic demonstration marks a key validation of our platform’s potential to improve treatment of emergent conditions like stroke,” said Eduardo Fonseca, CEO 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.”
Time to treatment is a critical determinant in stroke outcomes, as patients risk losing more than 2 million brain cells per minute until treatment is administered. 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 XCath 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 Fred Moll, M.D., a surgical robotics pioneer and founder of Intuitive Surgical. “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.”
The live simulated thrombectomy case aimed to demonstrate that XCath’s remote setup could overcome latency and overall performance questions associated with remote procedures. Dr. Pereira, a neurosurgery pioneer and Director of Endovascular Research and Innovation at St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada, performed the robotic 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 utilized neurovascular devices from Stryker, including the AXS Infinity LS, Trevo Trakb21 and Trevo NXT.
For more information about ADGHW, visit https://www.adghw.com/. To learn more about XCath, visit https://www.xcath.com/.
About XCath
Founded in 2017, XCath is a dynamic startup at the cutting edge of revolutionary medical robotics, nanorobotics and materials science. XCath develops next-generation endovascular robotic systems and steerable guidewires to treat life-threatening conditions like cerebrovascular disorders. With strategically located campuses in Houston, Texas – home to the world’s largest medical center – and Pangyo, South Korea, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of Korea, XCath is committed to bringing its innovative solutions to patients around the world.
The XCath steerable guidewires and endovascular robotic systems are currently under development. They are not yet cleared for commercial distribution in any country.
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