Stroke is the second most common cause of death and the number one cause of long-term disability globally. One in four adults over 25 years old will suffer a stroke during their lifetime. There have been numerous significant advances in the treatment of stroke, both pharmaceutically and mechanically. For mechanical interventional treatments, which have shown clear clinical benefits over pharmaceutical-only approaches in certain patient groups, the doctor physically removes the blood clot from the patient’s brain. These are highly specialized, difficult, and delicate procedures.
We have developed a soft robotic system that precisely inserts specially made guidewires and catheters deep into the brain. These novel devices are softer, more maneuverable, safer, and easier to use than anything currently available. The technology can simplify and shorten procedure time and reduce the risk of accessing the brain for interventional stroke treatment.
Our technology opens up new possibilities for remote telesurgery. Get in touch with us to try our remote demo yourself.
The physicians operating this soft robotic system are not required to stand by the patient during the procedure, which dramatically reduces their x-ray exposure. It is even possible for the physician controlling the robot to treat patients remotely. As a result, patients can be treated in local hospitals rather than being transferred to larger, specialized centers. This is particularly important for ischemic stroke treatment, as the longer it takes to remove the clot after it forms, the more damage may be caused to brain tissue.
We not only provide our patented magnetic navigation technology, but also the necessary surgical devices. Our team develops novel soft and flexible magnetic catheters and guidewires. With the help of advanced algorithms and mathematical models, their position can be precisely controlled by the surgeon using our user interfaces.
Nanoflex Robotics was founded in November 2021 as a spin-off from the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich. Nanoflex Robotics comprises a strong mix of academic and medtech industry expertise.
