Corindus touts first-in-human coronary telerobotics study with CorPath system

Corindus Vascular Robotics (OTC:CVRS) today touted that its CorPath robotic surgical platform was used in a first-in-human telerobotic intervention study in India.

The Waltham, Mass.-based company touted that the study was the world’s first percutaneous coronary intervention conducted from a remote location outside of a catheterization lab.

In the trial, five patients at India’s Apex Heart Institute underwent an elective PCI procedure from a distance of approximately 20 miles away, Corindus said.

The procedures were performed by Apex Heart Institute chair and chief interventional cardiologist Dr. Tejas Patel from inside the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, while his partner, Dr. Sanjay Shah, attended to the patient in person at the Apex Heart Institute.

“The first in human cases of remote robotic PCI represent a landmark event for interventional medicine. The application of telerobotics in India has the potential to impact a significant number of lives by providing access to care that may not otherwise have been possible. For the first time in cardiology’s history, India will shine for this ground-breaking innovation, and I am honored to be a part of this historic occasion,” Dr. Patel said in a prepared statement.

Corindus said that following the study, it plans to begin commercial product development to allow the CorPath system to be used in remote interventions.

“Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the world’s most significant and undertreated clinical problem due to limited access to specialized, timely medical care. As a result of existing barriers to care, including increased global poverty and a declining number of trained specialists, only a fraction of patients worldwide receives life-saving treatment, resulting in substantial death or disability. We anticipate that our technology will revolutionize cardiovascular disease treatment by providing specialized and timely medical care to anyone, anywhere,” prez & CEO Mark Toland said in a press release.

Last month, Corindus saw shares rise over 10% after the robotic surgical platform maker beat loss-per-share expectations on Wall Street with its third quarter earnings.