Battelle, Stereotaxis Develop Remote Controlled Heart Catheterization

Medical equipment maker Stereotaxis collaborated with a team of Battelle medical device designers and engineers to analyze and improve how surgeons interact with heart catheters and related therapies. Drawing upon our strengths in electrical and mechanical engineering and controls, Battelle developed a remote controlled heart catheter that improves patient and provider safety.

Battelle developed the Stereotaxis Vdrive, a technology that allows the complete heart catheterization process to be conducted remotely with a joystick control. The drive works with off-the-shelf catheter devices already in common use and mimics the intricate and laborious motions previously done manually by surgeons. Additional benefits of this device include: minimizing radiation exposure for medical staff, allowing for more precise control of the insertion process and improving workflow.

According to Stereotaxis, since its initial 2011 launch in Europe, the product has been deployed in nine centers with more units slated to be installed in additional centers during 2012. The initial nine centers have already performed 473 clinical procedures and have achieved positive clinical outcomes. Battelle is an industry leader in design and engineering for medical products and processes, helping our clients achieve life-changing innovations. Additionally, our work has resulted in electronic interfaces for hospital equipment, ergonomic surgical instruments, clearer safety labeling for drug delivery devices and the auto-injection pen, to name just a few.