Corindus Vascular Robotics’ CorPath GRX system—the world’s only FDA-approved and CE-marked robotic platform for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and peripheral vascular intervention—was used in the first-ever live transmission of a robotic PCI in Europe during this year's EuroPCR congress.
The live PCI, which took place May 22, was based at Clinique Pasteur in Toulouse, France, a city some 365 miles south of the conference in Paris. Interventional cardiologist Jean Fajadet, MD, moved his controls for the procedure into a separate room at the clinic, replicating a remote scenario while remaining physically connected to his patient.
“As robotic capabilities continue to advance, we are very pleased to share the latest developments in CorPath GRX with the attendees of EuroPCR,” Mark Toland, president and CEO of Corindus, said in a statement from the company. “Dr. Fajadet is a pioneer of this technology in Europe and understands our ultimate vision of enhancing patient care through the advancement of our technology. In just a few short months, he has established his facility as a leader in vascular robotics and has demonstrated the positive impact of a high-tech care model to the clinical community in Europe.”
Robotic PCI has seen a host of milestones in recent years, including the first remote PCI in a pig, which took place in Michigan with 100 miles separating the animal and its physician. In December 2018 Tejas Patel, MD, used the CorPath technology to perform PCI in five patients within a 20-mile radius.
Fajadet's success marked the first time a robotic procedure using the CorPath GRX was performed and broadcast live in Europe. In April of this year the tech received a CE mark for neurovascular intervention, broadening its application throughout the continent.
Fajadet said in the statement CorPath GRX offers the level of precision and control that’s imperative to perform even the most complex PCIs, noting the live case “went exactly as planned.”
“I was able to complete the procedure with control of all interventional devices and imaging equipment from the control room, providing my patient with high-quality care while protecting myself and the cath lab team,” he said. “I am pleased to share this technology with my peers to demonstrate how far it has come, and the promising future it may provide patients.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.