The new addition to Micromate makes it possible for physicians to rely on pre- and intraoperative scans to plan the intervention, the company behind the robot Interventional Systems, announced in a press release. These planning capabilities can then be leveraged to navigate and guide instruments to the trajectory automatically with submillimetre accuracy. All features fit into a one square metre console, with the robot being manoeuvered from afar, and relying on a miniature, table-mounted camera. This substantially reduces radiation exposure to physicians and patients, the number of interoperative rescans, and does not negatively impact the available space in the room.
“For years, we have been discussing making Micromate the control panel of the entire medical workflow. This solution is the first step in that direction”, says Michael Vogele, Interventional Systems’ founder and CEO. “We have developed this planning and navigation system while bearing in mind all constraints related to practicality and cost. Our all-in-one platform integrates seamlessly with the workflow and allows the use of conventional fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), and CT navigation, all while still being extremely affordable. We are looking forward to what is to come.”
Reto Bale (Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria) will be one of the earliest adopters of the technology: “Planning and navigation tools are fundamental for successful percutaneous procedures and clinical efficacy depends on them. I’m looking forward to incorporating the Micromate robot in my practice and further developing new applications whose outcomes can be improved with robotics”.
A current user of Micromate at the (Ordensklinikum Linz BHS, Linz, Austria) Alexander Kupferthaler, adds: “Precise image-driven targeting and highest accuracy while reducing radiation exposure are the ultimate goals in interventional radiology procedures. The Micromate all-in-one planning and navigation station with its intuitive handling and seamless integration to the angio-suite or CT workflow is a unique platform to add to patient safety and further perfect my interventions.”
