Robocath’s R-One Robotic Platform Completes First Coronary Angioplasty in Clinical Study in China

November 30, 2021—Robocath announced the completion of the first coronary angioplasty assisted by the company’s R-One robotic platform in China. The procedure was performed by interventional cardiologist Yundai Chen, MD, at the 301 Hospital in Beijing, China, on November 24. Robocath, which is headquartered in Rouen, France, is a developer of robotic platforms for the treatment of vascular disease.

According to the company, the robotic-assisted procedure is the first intervention within a clinical study carried out by CathBot, which is a joint venture between Robocath and MedBot, the robot-focused subsidiary of MicroPort Scientific Corporation, which is based in Shanghai, China.

The clinical study will include more than 100 patients at four centers. The goal is to obtain marketing authorization for the R-One robotic platform in China from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).

Dr. Chen commented in the company’s press release, “Robocath’s robotic platform enables a coronary angioplasty to be carried out safely, whilst being totally protected from radiation, and under more comfortable conditions. It is intuitive, and the system is incredibly precise; it’s possible to position stents to the exact millimeter. I’m flattered to have been the first person to use this technology in China and to help push forward the progress of robotics in our country.”

He Chao, PhD, President of MedBot, advised, “This first clinical trial of a robotic percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with R-One is an important milestone in the surgical robotic field for our company. There is no similar product available in our country. With the clinical development and subsequent launch of R-One, it will fill the field gap in robotic PCI in China and will benefit both doctors and patients.”

Additionally, Philippe Bencteux, President and Founder of Robocath and President of CathBot, noted, “We have reached a key step in our product development, in accordance with our development plan, in a highly strategic geographical area. China currently carries out more angioplasties than any other country. I’d like to thank the CathBot teams for all their work. Together, with our remote treatment technology, our robot will eventually become a key element in access to patient care within the country.”

Finally, Robocath’s Chief Executive Officer Lucien Goffart stated, “In the interventional cardiology field, the Chinese market has currently the highest growth rate in the world. More than a million procedures per year are performed in the country, and the number of catheterization labs has doubled since 2010—now reaching 2,000. This procedure comes only 1 year after the joint venture setup; it marks a key step in its development. This puts us in a strong position to be awarded marketing authorization from the NMPA in the near future.”