ROSES: The most Complete System for Endovascular Surgery

Abstract

ROSES, an innovative Robotic System for Endovascular Surgery, features a unique mechanism that continuously measures the resistance encountered by catheters and guide wires as they advance within the body. This feature operates seamlessly without the need for additional specialized components. The system is comprised of a series of robotic actuators (up to three) arranged linearly on slides running along a rail, inclined toward the patient. Another slide, housing a pair of step motors, facilitates the adjustment of relative positions between the actuators, with the proximal actuator affixed to the motor slide by a lateral bar. A force transducer, linked to the motor slide via a wire, is responsive to the gravitational component of any object on the rail. Importantly, this force remains constant even as the actuators move. However, the force dynamically changes if an external obstruction hinders the progress of catheters and guide wires, serving as an alert to the attending physician. The system, uniquely, is also capable of guiding the introduction of the first catheter, even if it is pre-curved. This capability facilitates the complete separation of the doctor from the patient throughout the entire surgical procedure. The system employs compact, purely mechanical disposables designed for a wide range of interventions utilizing commercially available catheters and guide wires, including angioplasty, brain and carotid surgery (for aneurysms or thrombi), TAVI, and various lower and upper limb procedures. Future developments include the incorporation of animated catheters capable of altering their shape configuration under console control. As the system also records the penetration length of each device and transmits this data to a workstation along with X-ray images, it effectively becomes the "black box" of endovascular surgeries. This functionality allows for a complete separation between physicians and patients throughout the entire surgical procedure. The system is safeguarded by multiple pending international patent applications.