Corindus Vascular Robotics‘ CorPath robotic surgical platform was used in a first-in-human telerobotic intervention study in India. The Waltham, Mass.-based company said the study was the world’s first percutaneous coronary intervention conducted from a remote location outside of a catheterization lab.

In the trial, five patients at India’s Apex Heart Institute underwent an elective PCI procedure from a distance of approximately 20 miles away, Corindus said.

The procedures were performed by Apex Heart Institute chair and chief interventional cardiologist Dr. Tejas Patel from inside the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, while his partner, Dr. Sanjay Shah, attended to the patient in person at the Apex Heart Institute.

“The first in human cases of remote robotic PCI represents a landmark event for interventional medicine. The application of telerobotics in India has the potential to impact a significant number of lives by providing access to care that may not otherwise have been possible. For the first time in cardiology’s history, India will shine for this ground-breaking innovation, and I am honored to be a part of this historic occasion,” Dr. Patel said in a prepared statement.

Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the number one cause of death worldwide, resulting in nearly 18 million deaths per year. Geographic barriers, socioeconomic status and a rapidly shrinking number of skilled specialists significantly hinder patient access to timely, specialized cardiovascular care. This is especially of concern during highly emergent medical events, such as heart attack and stroke, where ideally treatment is received in as little as 90 minutes or within 24 hours, respectively, to avoid death or permanent disability.

Corindus said that following the study, it plans to begin commercial product development to allow the CorPath system to be used in remote interventions.

“Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the world’s most significant and undertreated clinical problem due to limited access to specialized, timely medical care. As a result of existing barriers to care, including increased global poverty and a declining number of trained specialists, only a fraction of patients worldwide receive life-saving treatment, resulting in substantial death or disability,” said Corindus president & CEO Mark Toland. “We anticipate that our technology will revolutionize cardiovascular disease treatment by providing specialized and timely medical care to anyone, anywhere.”

Last month, Corindus saw shares rise over 10% after the robotic surgical platform maker beat loss-per-share expectations on Wall Street with its third-quarter earnings. Earlier in 2018, Corindus inked a private placement deal worth $25 million through the offering of newly-designated Series A convertible preferred stock, with funds slated to support global commercialization of its CorPath GRX robotic surgical system.