Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awarded Siemens Healthineers up to $31.1 million over five years to accelerate development of autonomous remote endovascular robotics, the German medtech giant announced this week.
Siemens Healthineers is developing technology for long-distance remote treatment of acute ischemic stroke by mechanical thrombectomy without direct human input. The system will utilize adapted designs of commercial components such as a robotic catheter drive platform, autonomy-optimized endovascular devices and off-the-shelf fluoroscopic imaging, according to ARPA-H.
“Early access to the right treatment makes all the difference for stroke patients. By integrating robotics, imaging, devices, and artificial intelligence, we want to transform the way endovascular therapy is delivered, towards greater accessibility and precision across a broader range of care settings,” said Siemens Healthineers Head of Advanced Therapies Philipp Fischer. “The ARPA-H investment is a big step in advancing autonomous remote endovascular robotics for the benefit of patients and communities around the world.”
Medical Design & Outsourcing: Read our July 2026 magazine issue for more on remote stroke treatment
The system will also feature a “purpose-built software layer” that enables autonomous operation while maintaining compatibility with non-autonomous products. Pre-operative path planning and continuous fluoroscopy-driven updates will help guide navigation of maneuverable devices and minimize intra-operative device changes, according to ARPA-H.
“By anchoring on a mature hardware base and world-class domain expertise, the effort positions endovascular care on a path toward better patient access,” the ARPA-H award said,
Siemens Healthineers will contribute $5.4 million over the course of the project as a cost share, bringing the total development investment to as much as $36.5 million.
In 2023, Siemens Healthineers discontinued its Corindus surgical robotics business that focuses on coronary and peripheral vascular procedures, after previously acquiring it for $1.1 billion. At the time, Siemens Healthineers CEO Jochen Schmitz said the “use of Corindus robots for cardiology operations did not fulfill our expectations.”
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Siemens Healthineers shifted focus to neurovascular robotics in 2025, and entered a strategic partnership with Stryker. The two medtech giants aim to develop a robotic system capable of performing a range of elective and emergency neurovascular procedures for stroke and aneurysm. Siemens Healthineers brings expertise in robotics and image-guided therapy and Stryker adds leadership in neurovascular technologies.
Stryker is a sub-awardee of Siemens Healthineers’ ARPA-H award, further strengthening the two companies’ partnership.
“This funding represents an important milestone in our collaboration with Siemens Healthineers and reinforces our shared commitment to advancing neurovascular care through innovation,” said Stryker Neurovascular president Jim Marucci. “Together, we’re developing technologies designed to help overcome barriers to treatment and bring advanced stroke care closer to more patients and communities.”
The funding stems from the ARPA-H Autonomous Interventions and Robotic (AIR) program, which aims to increase access to life-saving care by “enabling robots to perform entire interventions without direct human input.”
