Inovatyvi Medicina
Project dates
Full title of the project:
Robotic Endovascular Embolization System
Short name of the project:
R-EMBO
Date of the award:
29/01/2021
Project duration:
15 months
Lead Company:
Inovatyvi Medicina (Lithuania)
Project Partner(s):
ArgosConsult (Germany)
Abstract
“Endovascular embolization techniques are becoming more and more popular because of their minimal invasive approach as well as effectiveness in constantly increasing list of indications. Despite sound benefits, these endovascular embolization techniques expose the patient and medical team to extremely high amounts of radiation and cause medical personnel disabilities due to occupational hazards. In addition, the use of embolization procedures is limited to major hospital cath-labs and have limited availability in urgent situations, especially in remote areas. Any kind of bleeding should be stopped as soon as possible. That is why endovascular embolization procedures should be performed on-site 24/7, which is impossible in the real world.
UAB Inovatyvi Medicina is developing an innovative endovascular remotely operated robotic solution Marionette – SMART and SENSING technology which augments surgeon’s actions and allows performing endovascular procedures without medical personnel being exposed to harmful X-rays. Bringing experience from previously developed robotic solutions for neuro-diagnostic medical equipment used by NASA and Germain Aerospace centre, the developers of the technology have successfully created and tested the Marionette system – a fully robotic system capable of manipulating two endovascular instruments in all directions, replicating haptic feedback and is designed to perform the whole endovascular procedure from beginning till the end. This is the only robotic system that could be adopted for embolotherapy applications. The DIH HERO TTE project will enable Inovatyvi Medicina to adopt Marionette to be used in fully robotic embolotherapy procedures. Procedure controls, interfaces, disposable components single-use cassette and preloading system will be developed in this project and tested in an animal study. The successful implementation of the project will enable robotic embolotherapy procedures and will open up a new market niche for the company and its partners.
The primary target market of Marionette system is more than 3.000 cath labs performing endovascular procedures in the EU (more than 200 000 endovascular embolization procedures annually in the EU). Using the “razor and blade” revenue model and continuous revenue stream from sterile disposable components per embolotherapy procedure the company expects to quickly scale up its sales in the EU aiming for expansion to US and Worldwide markets with total market potential exceeding €4 billion.
A multidisciplinary team with vast experience in medical sciences, medical device development, robotics, mechanical and electronic engineering, product design, commercialisation and business development has joined forces for the implementation of the project aiming to bring the technology to clinical practice for benefit of patients, physicians and hospitals and exploit this niche market commercial opportunity. Future developments involve telemedicine and partially automated functions via machine learning.”