Robotic ablation of atrial fibrillation

Robotic applications for intracardiac and endovascular procedures

The large incisions and long recovery periods that accompany traditional cardiac surgery procedures along with the constant patient demand for minimally invasive procedures have motivated cardiac surgeons to implement the robotic technologies in their armamentarium. The robotic systems have been utilized successfully in various cardiac procedures including atrial septal defect repair, left atrial myxoma resection, MAZE procedure and left ventricular lead placement, yet coronary artery bypass and mitral valve repair still comprise the vast majority of them. This review analyzes the development of the robot-assisted cardiac surgery in recent years, its outcomes, advantages, disadvantages, its patient selection criteria as well as its economic feasibility. Robotic endovascular surgery, albeit its limited applications, is presently considered an attractive alternative to conventional endovascular approaches. The increased flexibility and precision along with the wider range of accessible anatomy provided by the endovascular robotic systems, have increased the pool of patients that can be offered minimally invasive treatment options and have helped to overcome many limitations of the traditional endovascular procedures. With this review we aimed to summarize the applications of the commercially available endovascular robotic devices, as well as the limitations and the future perspectives in the field of endovascular robotic surgery.

Snake Robots for Surgical Applications: A Review

Although substantial advancements have been achieved in robot-assisted surgery, the blueprint to existing snake robotics predominantly focuses on the preliminary structural design, control, and human–robot interfaces, with features which have not been particularly explored in the literature. This paper aims to conduct a review of planning and operation concepts of hyper-redundant serpentine robots for surgical use, as well as any future challenges and solutions for better manipulation. Current researchers in the field of the manufacture and navigation of snake robots have faced issues, such as a low dexterity of the end-effectors around delicate organs, state estimation and the lack of depth perception on two-dimensional screens. A wide range of robots have been analysed, such as the i²Snake robot, inspiring the use of force and position feedback, visual servoing and augmented reality (AR). We present the types of actuation methods, robot kinematics, dynamics, sensing, and prospects of AR integration in snake robots, whilst addressing their shortcomings to facilitate the surgeon’s task. For a smoother gait control, validation and optimization algorithms such as deep learning databases are examined to mitigate redundancy in module linkage backlash and accidental self-collision. In essence, we aim to provide an outlook on robot configurations during motion by enhancing their material compositions within anatomical biocompatibility standards.

[Research on real-time detection system of catheter delivering force in vascular interventional robots]

In existing vascular interventional surgical robots, it is difficult to accurately detect the delivery force of the catheter/guidewire at the slave side. Aiming to solve this problem, a real-time force detection system was designed for vascular interventional surgical (VIS) robots based on catheter push force. Firstly, the transfer process of catheter operating forces in the slave end of the interventional robot was analyzed and modeled, and the design principle of the catheter operating force detection system was obtained. Secondly, based on the principle of stress and strain, a torque sensor was designed and integrated into the internal transmission shaft of the slave end of the interventional robot, and a data acquisition and processing system was established. Thirdly, an ATI high-precision torque sensor was used to build the experimental platform, and the designed sensor was tested and calibrated. Finally, sensor test experiments under ideal static/dynamic conditions and simulated catheter delivery tests based on actual human computed tomography (CT) data and vascular model were carried out. The results showed that the average relative detection error of the designed sensor system was 1.26% under ideal static conditions and 1.38% under ideal dynamic stability conditions. The system can detect on-line catheter operation force at high precision, which is of great significance towards improving patient safety in interventional robotic surgery.

Supraventricular Tachycardia in Pregnancy: Gestational and Labor Differences in Treatment

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a tachyarrhythmia characterized by a heart rate above 120 beats per minute (BPM). Patients with SVT exhibit the following symptoms: palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, hemodynamic instability, or possibly asymptomatic. The increase in cardiac output and the increase in resting heart rate during pregnancy predispose pregnant women to SVT. The management of SVT in pregnancy, although remarkably similar, varies slightly based on the trimester of pregnancy. Atenolol and verapamil are effective methods of treating SVT, which can be used during the second and third trimesters. Both medications are contraindicated in the first trimester. At the same time, intravenous adenosine can be used in all three trimesters, including labor. Electrical cardioversion is an effective treatment method for hemodynamically unstable or drug-refractory patients, which has proven to be safe in all three trimesters, including labor but can result in pre-term labor in the third trimester. Non-fluoroscopic ablation proved to be the only treatment method that definitively resolved SVT without recurrence.

Safety and feasibility of atrial fibrillation ablation using Amigo® system versus manual approach: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

The Amigo® Remote Catheter System is a relatively new robotic system for catheter navigation. This study compared feasibility and safety using Amigo (RCM) versus manual catheter manipulation (MCM) to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Contact force (CF) and force-time integral (FTI) values obtained during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) ablation were compared.

METHODS

Forty patients were randomly selected for either RCM (20) or MCM (20). All were studied with the Thermocool® SmartTouch® force-sensing catheter (STc). Contact Force (CF), Force Time Integral (FTI) and procedure-related data, were measured/stored in the CARTO®3.

RESULTS

All cases achieved complete PVI without major complications. Mean CF was significantly higher in the RCM group (13.3 ± 7.7 g in RCM vs. 12.04 ± 7.42 g in MCM p < 0.001), as was overall mean FTI (425.6 gs ± 199.6 gs with RCM and 407.5 gs ± 288.0 gs in MCM (p = 0.007) and was more likely to fall into the optimal FTI range (400-1000) using RCM (66.1% versus 49.1%, p < 0.001). FTI was significantly more likely to fall within the optimal range in each PV, as was CF within its optimal range in the right PVs, but trended higher in the left PVs. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia was 90.0% for the RCM and 70.0% for the MCM group (p = 0,12) at 540 days follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study suggests that use of the Amigo RCM system, with STc catheter, seems to be safe and effective for PVI ablation in paroxysmal AF patients. A not statistically significant favorable trend was observed for RCM in term of AF-free survival.

The Amigo™ Remote Catheter System: From Concept to Bedside

Radiation exposure is a serious concern during fluoroscopic procedures, including electrophysiology (EP) studies and radiofrequency catheter ablation of arrhythmias. Operators typically don lead aprons to protect themselves from radiation, but wearing lead can result in greater fatigue and orthopedic injury during long procedures. To address this problem, two robotic catheter systems (RCS) have previously been introduced on the market, the Niobe^® (Stereotaxis Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA) and Sensei^® X (Hansen Medical, Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) systems. However, the widespread adoption of these systems has been limited by both cost and ease of use. In contrast, the Amigo™ RCS (Catheter Precision, Inc., Mount Olive, NJ, USA) was developed to provide a simple, lower profile, and less expensive remote catheter manipulation solution. Approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this technology allows for operators to remotely manipulate electrophysiology (EP) catheters from outside the fluoroscopy field. Notably, the Amigo™ RCS (Catheter Precision, Inc., Mount Olive, NJ, USA) first underwent an early study in dogs in 2008 to demonstrate its safety and efficacy in an animal model. After a clinical trial evaluating its safety and mapping capabilities in humans was completed in 2010, the Amigo™ RCS (Catheter Precision, Inc., Mount Olive, NJ, USA) underwent several scientific studies to examine its ability to assist in the mapping and ablation of various arrhythmias in comparison with the conventional manual approach. The Amigo™ RCS (Catheter Precision, Inc., Mount Olive, NJ, USA) achieved mapping and ablation success rates that were similar to those achieved with manual catheter manipulation, and no complications due to its use were observed. It was approved by the FDA for use in diagnostic EP studies of the right atrium and ventricle in 2012, with this indication later expanded in 2014 to include radiofrequency ablations. The device is currently compatible with the Blazer™ (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA) and EZ STEER™ (Biosense Webster, Inc., Diamond Bar, CA, USA) catheter handles. Here, we present a clinical report in which the Amigo™ RCS (Catheter Precision, Inc., Mount Olive, NJ, USA) was employed to map and ablate symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia. Dr. Cohen’s clinical experience with this robotic system is also reviewed.