Cathbot Enrolls Last Patient in its First Clinical Study in China

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Robocath’s joint venture, Cathbot—established in 2020 with MicroPort through its robotic subsidiary MedBot—has enrolled the last patient in its clinical study in China. This is the first step towards obtaining approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the commercialization of R-One, its robotic solution for PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) in the Chinese market, where this is the first clinical study conducted on this scale in the field of vascular robotics.

This multi-center clinical study began in November 2021 and has enrolled 149 patients over six months—on schedule despite the sanitary conditions linked to COVID-19. Four hospital centers participated in the trial: the No. 301 Hospital, the leading unit, with Professor Yundai Chen; the Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital, with Professor Jian An; the Meizhou People’s Hospital, with Professor Zhixiong Zhong, and the People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with Professor Yining Yang. The last patient was enrolled in May 2022.

“I am deeply impressed by the accuracy and quick learning curve of R-One. Not only can it complete the positioning of the balloon and stent catheter precisely, it also enables manipulation of two guidewires, one of them being parked in a stand-by path, facilitating complex PCI presenting tortuous and/or calcified lesions. This could reduce the risk of intraoperative and post-operative complications, which would benefit both patients and operators,” said Chen, director of the cardiology department at the No. 301 Hospital.

“The simple and intuitive design of R-One is very convenient for doctors to operate with. We can get started after only short-term training. Additionally, we can complete the intervention whilst being totally protected by sitting in front of the X-ray-proof console and manipulating the devices using only the joysticks. We look forward to working with R-One on a daily basis to benefit more patients and doctors,” commented An, department of cardiovascular medicine, dean of the Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital.

“R-One drastically improves our working conditions. First, we can operate while fully protected from radiation; compared to manual interventions where we need to stand for long hours, only a few centimeters from the X-ray tube, which can induce serious diseases, like cancer, and orthopedic injuries. Second, it offers a high level of precision which directly benefits the patient,” added Zhong, dean of the Meizhou People’s Hospital.

“During the clinical trial, R-One has been reliable in several consecutive PCI procedures. This technology will benefit doctors and many patients living with cardiovascular diseases all over the country: today, in China, more than one million procedures are performed annually across roughly 2,000 PCI centers,” noted Yang, dean of the People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

“The completion of this clinical trial is a crucial milestone in our development. It is the first PCI robotic multicenter trial completed in China. I am very impressed with the commitment of the Cathbot team and the medical staff. They worked very hard to make it happen on time and to maintain our strategic plans despite the lockdowns. I sincerely thank all of them. Our greatest global ambition is to be able to better treat cardiovascular diseases. R-One will allow the medical staff to work safely while bringing precision to the intervention,” said Philippe Bencteux, president and founder of Robocath and president of Cathbot.

“We look forward to receiving the results of this study, that will undoubtedly confirm the ease of use and intuitiveness of R-One. This clinical trial is the first step towards the commercialization of R-One in China,” added Lucien Goffart, CEO of Robocath.

“In the field of vascular robotics, the successful completion of this multi-center clinical trial project with R-One is an important milestone for Cathbot. It is of extraordinary significance for promoting more accurate and intelligent interventional medicine. In the future, R-One will be equipped with 5G and AI features, and combined with technologies such as vascular structure imaging and hemodynamic monitoring to achieve more innovative breakthroughs. Our ambition is to provide the best treatment for patients thanks to accurate, intelligent and better integrated robotic solutions,” concluded Dr. Chao He, president of MicroPort MedBot.
 
Founded in 2014, MedBot develops intelligent surgical robotic systems and solutions. It is committed to meeting cutting-edge development needs of minimally invasive surgery and providing integrated intelligent surgical solutions. Following years of research and development, innovation and industrial accumulation, MedBot has grown to become a medical robot company that masters the underlying technology in the entire chain. With its three flagship products in the three major segments, namely the Toumai laparoscopic surgical robot, Skywalker joint replacement surgical robot, and DFVision three-dimensional electronic laparoscope, and having entered the special approval procedure (Green Path) for innovative medical devices at the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), Medbot is the only surgical robot company with three ‘Green Path’ grants in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Its current business covers five areas, including endoscopy, orthopedics, vascular intervention, natural orifice, and percutaneous puncture.
 
MicroPort was founded in 1998 in ZJ Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai China. The company covers 10 major areas, including cardiovascular intervention and structural heart diseases; electrophysiology and cardiac rhythm management; orthopedics and soft tissue repair; endovascular and peripheral vascular diseases; neurovascular intervention and neurosciences; life sciences (endocrine management); surgical devices and medical robotics; urology and gynecology; respiratory and gastroenterology; aesthetics and rehabilitation; and in-vitro diagnostics and medical imaging. More than 300 MicroPort devices currently approved for use in nearly 10,000 hospitals worldwide. Its global footprint of R&D and manufacturing sites includes Shanghai; Memphis, Tenn., in the United States; Clamart in France; Saluggia in Italy; and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. MicroPort has more than 4,700 patent applications, and a global workforce of over 7,000 employees.
 
Founded in 2009 by Philippe Bencteux, M.D., Robocath designs, develops, and commercializes robotic solutions to treat cardiovascular diseases. R-One is the first solution developed by Robocath. It uses a unique bionic technology that optimizes the safety of robotic-assisted coronary angioplasty. This medical procedure consists of revascularizing the cardiac muscle by inserting one or more implants (stents) into the arteries that supply it with blood. Every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, this type of procedure is performed. R-One is designed to operate with precision and perform accurate movements, creating better interventional conditions. Thanks to its open architecture, R-One is compatible with market-leading devices and catheter labs. 

R-One received CE marking in 2019. In a prospective, multicenter, non-randomized, single-arm clinical trial, R-One demonstrated safety and efficacy as it achieved more than 95% technical procedure success with no MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events). Currently R-One is used in Europe, Africa and China.