Corindus Announces Opening of First International Robotic Training Center

Corindus Vascular Robotics Inc., a developer of precision vascular robotics, announced the opening of the first international CorPath GRX Robotic Center in Tokyo, Japan. Earlier this year, Corindus partnered with Japan Medicalnext Co. Ltd., a wholly-owned entity of MC Healthcare Inc. (subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation), to become the exclusive distributor of Corindus products in Japan, bringing robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to the Japanese market. The first three CorPath GRX Systems were shipped to Japan Medicalnext in July and will be used at its newly constructed robotic center according to Japan’s regulation.
 
“The opening of the first international robotic center represents an important milestone in the process of bringing precision vascular robotics to patients and physicians in Japan, and around the world,” said Tal Wenderow, co-founder and executive vice president of International and Business Development of Corindus. “Japan is the third largest PCI market with approximately 250,000 annual procedures, and is an important market as we grow our business internationally. We look forward to introducing our technology to the Japanese cardiology community.”
 
The robotic center and robotic simulation lab will be used to educate interventional cardiologists on the benefits of robotic-assisted PCI procedures. CorPath GRX is the second generation robotic-assisted PCI technology offering enhancements to the platform by adding important key upgrades that increase precision, improve workflow, and extend the capabilities and range of procedures that can be performed robotically.
 
“Robotic-assisted PCI is a natural extension of our current capabilities and will fit well within our current practice,” said Takafumi Ueno, M.D., Ph.D., director of Interventional Cardiology, Center of Cardiovascular Disease, Kurume University Hospital. “I look forward to seeing the positive impact the CorPath GRX System will have on patients and physicians.”
 
In preparation for commercial launch of CorPath GRX in Japan, the company is working with Japan Medicalnext to secure Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency (PMDA) approval.
 
Corindus Vascular Robotics, Inc. is a global technology leader in robotic-assisted vascular interventions. The company’s CorPath System is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared medical device to bring robotic precision to interventional procedures. During the procedure, the interventional cardiologist sits at a radiation-shielded workstation to advance guide catheters, stents, and guidewires with millimeter-by-millimeter precision. The workstation allows the physician greater control and the freedom from wearing heavy lead protective equipment that causes musculoskeletal injuries. With the CorPath System, Corindus Vascular Robotics brings robotic precision to interventional procedures to help optimize clinical outcomes and minimize the costs associated with complications of improper stent placement during manual procedures.
 
MC Healthcare Inc. is a group company of Mitsubishi Corporation, a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry, including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, and daily living essentials. As a company in the healthcare industry in Japan, MC Healthcare provides medical professionals with various services such as procuring and managing medical materials, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment for hospitals nationwide while also providing a variety of menus to help improve management, including group purchasing systemized between multiple hospitals, thereby offering total support for the operations of medical institutions.
 
Japan Medicalnext Co. Ltd. is a wholly owned entity of MC Healthcare Inc. The company imports and sells medical equipment and consumables to serve various clinical fields, aiming to contribute to the realization of more enriched medical care through the advancement of medical technology.