Remote robotic percutaneous coronary intervention: An animal feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Interventions
• Robotic Surgery
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) access is limited in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) management.
• Telemedicine combined with robotic PCI offers potential for remote delivery of PCI, overcoming transfer delays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic PCI using an off-site remote control system.
• To assess the impact of network latency on remote robotic PCI in an animal model.

Main Methods:

• A preclinical feasibility study in swine using robotic PCI with remote control across varying distances.
• Introduction of controlled network latency (up to 1,000 ms) to simulate degraded network conditions.
• Primary outcomes: technical success and acute safety; Secondary outcomes: procedural times and operator experience.

Main Results:

• 100% technical success and no procedural complications across 52 experiments in 15 animals.
• Procedural times were not significantly affected by distance or network latency up to 1,000 ms.
• Network latency exceeding 250 ms notably increased perceived lag; longer procedures correlated with lower impact scores.

Conclusions:

• Remote robotic PCI is feasible and safe in an animal model.
• Procedural duration is acceptable and resilient to network latency.
• Further human trials are necessary to confirm safety and feasibility in clinical practice.