Microrobots are becoming increasingly popular in cardiovascular disease procedures due to their unique ability to navigate through the vasculature and deliver drugs or perform other procedures at a specific site. Korean startup IMSYSTEM has created a micro-robotic medical system for cardio/neurovascular disease procedures. This system allows doctors to control medical wires freely, safely, and precisely. This is perfect for procedures for cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac/cerebral thrombosis, which are two of the top causes of death. Cardiac arrhythmias are the abnormal beating of the heart, and cardiac thrombosis is bad blood circulation in the blood vessels.
Microrobotic Medical System – IM SuperMagClinic
Currently, these cardiac procedures can take anywhere from 30 to 280 minutes, with a success rate of 60-80%. In addition, patients are exposed to continuous radiation and risk of infection during this procedure. Traditional medical wires have a fixed-angle tip and need to be steered manually. Therefore, there is a high risk of human error. This is why using microrobots is becoming more and more popular in this field. Microrobots can be specifically targeted to a specific site of interest and are less likely to cause damage to surrounding tissue. In addition, microrobots offer the potential for personalized medicine, as they can be specifically tailored to the individual patient’s needs.
IMSYSTEM has developed a microrobotic medical system called IM SuperMag Clinic that allows for the precise steering of medical wires. This leads to operation times of an average of 30 minutes and a success rate of over 80%. Doctors can use active control to remotely control the medical wire in a safe, non-radiation environment. This allows for fast, easy, and precise operations.
For the doctor to currently steer the medical wires, a 3D electromagnetic actuation is placed underneath the patient’s bed. This creates a 3D vascular model the doctor uses to steer the microrobotic guidewire. A high level of safety is achieved by using active control of the medical wire and doing it remotely.
IMSYSTEM
IMSYSTEM started as a Korean government-funded research project in 2015 as the demand for active steering increased. They received $3 million in funding for research and development. Clinical trials are underway, and animal testing has been completed. They have ongoing collaborations and partnerships with University hospitals in Korea, such as Seoul National University. IMSYSTEM aims to collaborate with even more hospitals in 2023, regionally and globally. They plan to get their medical device approved in Korea in 2023 to gather enough data to take their device to the US/Europe market by 2024. The IM SuperMag Clinic is for sale, rent, or lease and comes with a training simulator.
IMSYSTEM hopes to have a final version incorporating a fully automated navigation system with the medical wire by 2025-2026.
The Future of Microrobotics
The future of microrobots is shrouded in potential, but only a handful of innovative startups are working in this industry. IMSYSTEM is one of the few rising startups focused on developing Microrobotic solutions. Microrobots can be used for various medical procedures, from targeted drug delivery to surgery. While their small size makes them appealing for use in the human body, it also creates challenges in terms of development and regulation. Moreover, as the medical industry is already facing a shortage of skilled workers, adding microbotic solutions will save current doctors time and make operation procedures more efficient.
While the industry is still relatively young, the potential benefits of microrobots are significant. In the future, they could help to improve access to care, reduce surgical complications, and even extend life expectancy. As such, the development of these tiny machines is an endeavor that is worth pursuing, which is why the future looks bright for IMSYSTEM.
