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Cerus Endovascular Ltd. this week announced the first ever robotically assisted intracranial implant of its Contour intrasaccular device. Neurosurgeon Dr. Nitin Dange completed the procedure at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India. The procedure was performed on a middle cerebral aneurysm with a 7mm Contour device, and it took a total of 18 minutes, including access and placement of the Contour.

“The device proves the test of the time, with advanced technology matching the ease of deployment and synchronizing very well with the robotic system with precision,” stated Dr. Dange. “The device looks very promising for the cure of intracranial bifurcation aneurysms in the long term.”

Cerus Endovascular is a privately held, commercial-stage, medical device company with offices in Oxford, U.K., and Fremont, Calif. It designs and develops proprietary interventional neuroradiology devices and delivery systems for the treatment of acute, life-threatening neurological conditions, specifically, intracranial aneurysms. The company said its CE-marked products, the Contour Neurovascular System and the Neqstent Coil Assisted Flow Diverter, expand the number and types of treatable intracranial aneurysms.

Cerus Endovascular, Xcath demonstrate robotic implant

The Contour Neurovascular System is composed of fine mesh braid. Cerus Endovascular said it represents a unique intrasaccular advancement in the market because it targets the neck of the aneurysm away from the vulnerable dome.

In addition, the system is designed to be self-anchored for stability and is re-sheathable for precise placement. Because it is deployed across the neck, sizing criteria are less restrictive than other commercially available intrasaccular devices, making it easier to use in the clinical setting, claimed Cerus.

The surgical robot used in the procedure was the Xcath microsurgical device from Xcath Inc. in Houston, Texas.

Source: Cerus Endovascular

“Given the significant advances made in robotic assisted surgical technologies in recent years and the many advantages they bring to interventional medicine, this successful robot-assisted implant represents a significant milestone in our company’s history and should serve to expand awareness for, and use of, the Contour device,” said Dr. Stephen Griffin, president of Cerus Endovascular. “We recognize that not all neurovascular interventions can be displaced by robotic surgery due to the complexity of vascular and aneurysm anatomies.”

“However, this accomplishment does demonstrate promise for procedures to be performed like this in the future,” he added. “The Contour device is positioned as an easy-to-use ‘one and done’ solution, which we believe makes this a very realistic application for robotic surgery, as Dr. Dange has clearly demonstrated.”

“The achievement of this important technical and commercial milestone is yet further evidence of the breadth of utility of our proprietary portfolio,” said Sam Milstein, chairman of Cerus Endovascular. “As we grow our revenues and market share with innovative devices aimed at solving the ever increasing demands of the marketplace, we will continue to establish our global brand.”

Editor’s note: To learn more about the medical device industry, visit MassDevice, a sibling site to The Robot Report.